


Synergy

by lady_slice



Series: Earth-0943 [1]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Steve Rogers, Bottom Tony Stark, Bruce Banner & James "Rhodey" Rhodes Friendship, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Dancing, Dating, Depression, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fake Marriage, Falling In Love, Fanart, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Frottage, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecure Tony, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Kissing, Lonely Tony Stark, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, Minor Sam Wilson/Shuri, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, POV Alternating, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Sharing a Bed, Singing, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Spanking, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Daddy Issues, Tony Stark Has Nightmares, Tony Stark Has Self-Esteem Issues, Tony Stark Has Trust Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Top Steve Rogers, Top Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-31 12:00:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 49
Words: 242,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21445870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_slice/pseuds/lady_slice
Summary: ATTN: Stark Industries has created its newest tech, the Synergy device. What does the device do, you ask? I’m sorry, but only a select group of people are privileged with that information. I can tell you, however, that one of its unintended side effects resulted in bringing together the most unlikely pairing…Alternative Universe where the MCU Avengers are a group of ordinary people (professions notwithstanding) who come together to form Project Synergy. Steve Rogers, a law student, meets Tony Stark, a famous tech celebrity. The two form a serious—and at times, intense—bond, but past issues threaten to tear this relationship apart.This work is illustrated with Stony fanart bynegativesd09on tumblr! Check out their work; it’s so good! I’m so glad to have their work associated with this fanfic.Also, this work is accompanied with a runningplaylistwhere you can find the songs mentioned in the story.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Earth-0943 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1586029
Comments: 115
Kudos: 200





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Although this isn't my first work of fan fiction, it's my first Stony fanfic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
\--ladyslice

**PROLOGUE**

“Well, this is fascinating.”

“Hm?”

“Another alternative universe has a positive outcome. Earth-0943.”

“What? Is Steve Rogers born a woman this time?” 

“Actually, this one is _more_ interesting. No Superhero Registration Act. No ‘Secret Avengers’. No civil war. No powers.”

“No powers?”

“No powers.”

“Huh, play it. Let’s see what happens.”

* * *

“Come on, just tell me. I didn’t get accepted.” Steve’s tone never wavered; there was no hint of doubt. He knew it had been a futile exercise to try for something so competitive.

_This was such a waste of time._ The groan to himself felt excruciating.

“Steve, _chill_. I haven’t even opened it yet.” One of Steve’s best friends and roommate, Sam Wilson, was holding the course of Steve’s future in his hands: an official Stark Industries emblazoned envelope.

Sam wasn’t as careful with it as Steve had been when he first discovered the envelope that morning after his usual run. After some careful consideration, he decided to wait for Sam to get back from work so he wouldn’t be alone if it contained a letter of regret.

_Obviously, a letter of regret_. Steve exhaled deeply. “Okay. Okay. I know I’m being weird, but—”

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Working on Project Synergy at Stark Industries would turn you into the man you’ve always wanted to be, and blah, blah, blah.” Sam interrupted his friend, but Steve couldn’t fully appreciate Sam’s playful teasing; Steve’s back was turned toward him. The two friends were standing in their tiny kitchen: Steve near the fridge, while Sam stood across the room, leaning against a countertop.

“I’ve never said _that_.” Steve knew Sam was joking, but this would be the opportunity of a lifetime. And, yeah, maybe he did often find a way to bring up in conversation how much he wanted to work on Project Synergy.

“I mean, who _wouldn’t_ want to work on a project with Tony Stark.” Sam continued. Steve could feel his friend’s widening smile at the mentioning of the famed tech genius.

Last year, Stark Industries had launched a collaborative project that stretched across disciplines. The program had been billed as the ultimate interdisciplinary venture, seeking brilliant minds from various professions to assist with the company’s newest tech. Just beginning his last year in law school, Steve had applied, even though he knew it was a long shot. The details of the full project hadn’t been made public, but during the first round of interviews it was revealed that the project would consist of helping those in need. Steve, as he progressed further through the interview stage, couldn’t miss a chance like this. He had applied to law school for this exact reason; he wanted to help people wherever and whenever he could.

Steve heard paper tear, indicating that Sam had opened the envelope. He took another deep breath.

During the final round of interviews, Steve had finally met Tony Stark, the man in charge of Project Synergy. Meeting Tony Stark had never been a life goal of Steve’s, but the idea was cool, nevertheless. Well to his friends at the very least. Sam and Bucky Barnes (Steve’s oldest friend from childhood) were completely obsessed with their more reserved friend’s chance to work with a celebrity. They had seemed more excited for him than he had been for himself.

_Remember us when you get to the top, Cap. _Bucky had once mentioned to Steve while the three were out for drinks. Both Bucky and Steve had served in the army together prior to Steve entering law school at Columbia University. However, their paths ultimately diverged; Bucky chose to continue his military career while Steve sought to pursue his dream of becoming a public defender. While serving, Steve had risen to the rank of Captain, which led to his ubiquitous nickname that stuck after he was honorably discharged. Steve found the nickname to be annoying at times; the unit was a team. Yet, even he could admit that his nickname had its moments of endearment. Almost all his closest friends referred to him as “Cap”, especially when he was in a stern, yet nurturing mood.

“Mr. Rogers, we have the pleasure to inform you…” As Sam began reading the letter out loud, Steve lost himself within his thoughts; his mind drifted back to that final interview with Tony.

Although he had felt hopeful post-interview, Steve couldn’t help but be a little annoyed by the tech genius’ infamous eccentric personality. Something about the man seemed wholly arrogant and a little standoffish. The others in the interview, Nick Fury, Pepper Potts, and Obadiah Stane appeared to be quite interested in Steve’s background and continuing education. Yet, Tony acted like he couldn’t be bothered to be there. Steve remembered trying not to make a face when it was clear that Tony didn’t even know which university he was attending.

_Who doesn’t read up on their potential team members? _

When it came to shaking hands with his interviewers, Steve had taken the time to politely shake Tony’s, although he had been a little irritated with the latter’s attitude during the interview. Steve thought that if the guy didn’t have the time or will to interview people for such an important project, then he should have just stayed out of the process.

As Steve looked Tony in the eye while shaking hands, he was surprisingly met with a similar intense gaze. They shook hands and traded pleasantries before Steve left the office. He was told during the interview that he would only really work with Tony toward the end of the project when it came time to present the final product to the board. Steve figured that was probably for the best; he couldn’t stand the thought of working daily with someone who seemingly cared less about his team members.

“…that you have been accepted into Project Synergy!” Steve snapped back to the present as he felt Sam give him a hug from behind.

“…I got in?” Steve barely managed as he tried to process the good news. He turned around to face Sam who had the hugest grin on his face.

“You got in! I told you!” Sam handed him the letter as he slapped him on the back.

Steve took his time reading over each word, studying it closely as if the text would magically rearrange itself into a letter of regret.

“We gotta call Bucky. Once he gets into town this weekend, we’re celebrating. That means going out, Steve.” Sam poked his flabbergasted friend a few times in the chest before shoving past Steve to get to the fridge. He rummaged around a bit before pulling out a bottle of champagne. Steve stared dumbfounded at his friend as Sam produced two plastic champagne glasses from a grocery bag shoved in a corner on the countertop.

Steve sighed. It was nice of Sam to prepare for good news, but it could have easily been bad news. Which probably would have been easier to swallow with champagne.

“You didn’t have to do that. What if it were a letter of regret?” Steve rolled his eyes as he accepted a full plastic glass from Sam, who was still grinning ridiculously.

“Steve, are you serious? You said that the interview went really well. Or that you thought so anyway. And you got a call from—what was her name again? Ms. Potts? She called you the other day. Why would the CEO of Stark Industries take the time to call someone they weren’t planning to accept into the program?” Sam had poured himself a drink, taken a quick picture of Steve with his phone then the two of them together by the time he refuted Steve’s unnecessary worry.

Steve cringed when Sam snapped another photo of him. “Oh, come on, Sam. Don’t put that on the world wide web, please.”

“_Jesus_, Steve. Maybe you got into the program because they wanted to observe how an eighty-year-old possessed the body of a thirty-year-old.” Sam groaned through a toothy smile. Often, Steve’s friends pointed out that he was horribly old-fashioned, which was both irritating at times as it was adorable. Steve still carried around a flip phone and refused to upgrade to the newest smart phone.

_Why would I need a phone to surf the internet when I can use my computer? _Steve once whined to Bucky and Sam. That question had earned him an audible gasp from his best friends who have been trying ever since to figure out how to kidnap him and dump him off in the nearest Apple store.

“So, when are you supposed to show up for work?” Sam chugged his glass of champagne before pouring himself another. He motioned toward Steve to do the same. Steve smiled, knowing he should celebrate his achievements more often, and reciprocated the act.

“It says I’m supposed to report at the end of the month.” Steve glanced at the letter again. His hand was shaking so he placed the letter gently on top of the countertop. Sam noticed, but only gave his friend a reassuring rub on the shoulder.

“You’re going to do great, Steve. And, like I said, they only want the best on this project.” Sam sipped his champagne as Steve continued to gaze down at the letter:

> Dear Mr. Rogers,
> 
> We have the pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted into Project Synergy. This is a unique opportunity to bring a diverse pool of professionals together to change the course of human interaction, technology, and global community. You will be joined with others who have made notable strides in their careers. You will be challenged and supported by your future teammates. The world needs your collaboration in order to bring about peace and sustainability.
> 
> Our next meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 30th. Please arrive at Stark Industries in the Research and Development department at 8am. There will be a security pass for you in the lobby.
> 
> If for some reason you would like to decline this offer, please let us know immediately. Otherwise, we look forward to you joining us in this venture.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Nicholas J. Fury
> 
> Virginia Potts
> 
> Obadiah Stane
> 
> Anthony E. Stark

Under each printed name was a very distinct signature. Steve stared the longest at Tony’s, wondering to himself what the tech giant was _really_ like. He could sense that Sam was watching him study the letter.

“I’m still not entirely sure what you’ll be doing, Steve, but this is awesome.” Sam smiled as Steve finally looked up at him. Steve wasn’t sure either, but did it matter at this point? Whatever the details ended up being, Steve would be able to participate in something bigger than himself. Helping people with his teambuilding and leadership skills from the army and his legal education would be a huge plus. Things would only get better from here on out.

“Cheers, Cap.” Sam beamed as he held up his glass to toast Steve.

Steve couldn’t help smiling back at his friend as he did his best to clink their plastic glasses together.

“Cheers, Sam. And thanks.”

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

“Yes…the same floor with the device. No—but close enough…excellent…and he won’t be much of a problem…”

* * *

“So, how’s the team looking?” Tony glanced up briefly from the file he was studying to acknowledge Rhodey who had plopped down in a chair on the other side of his desk in his office at Stark Industries. He was grinning, as if to tease Tony about having to be a team player, let alone a team leader. Especially on a project that he was more or less obligated to finish.

_Thanks, once again, dad. _Tony nearly groaned out loud.

“Like a merry motley crew. Why did I agree to do this again?” Tony tossed one of the files across the desk toward Rhodey who caught it before it slipped off the edge.

“Because you _love_ helping people, Tone. It’s in your DNA.” Rhodey joked as he flipped through the discarded file.

Colonel James Rhodes—Rhodey to those who knew him the best—was Tony’s best friend from college. Well, to be more precise, Rhodey was probably one of the few people who had lived through Tony’s wilder days and chose to stick around after. Tony was grateful for the friendship: since college, they both had helped each other out of sticky situations, with Tony’s always being the stickiest. It was nice having someone close who was understanding, but also real when it came to getting him to see clearly.

“I hope that’s not a reference to Howard, Rhodey. And if it is, you can go promptly fuck yourself.” Tony sneered as Rhodey laughed.

Also, Tony felt like he really couldn’t be his most vulgar self with anyone else besides Rhodey. It felt good being this vulnerable. Now if only he could sort out his dating life, he would be living in paradise.

_Which I guess is on hold now because of Project fucking Synergy._

“Hey, you’re the one who agreed to continue your dad’s legacy project.” Rhodey huffed as he picked up another file, this time he looked more intrigued than he had been with the previous file. Tony took notice.

“The law student, right?” Tony dropped a file on the desk before leaning into his shoulder resting on the armchair. He watched Rhodey closely investigate the file.

“Yeah. The blonde you said. So much life experience for a thirty-something. He should be interesting to get to know.” Rhodey nodded slightly as he continued to read through Steve’s file, never breaking eye contact with the folder.

Tony nodded in agreement; he_ definitely_ remembered Steve Rogers. The day of the law student’s final interview, Tony hadn’t planned on joining the rest, but decided that he should see the last pool of applicants just in case he needed to make an executive decision. That day, however, had been a total nightmare. There are had been multiple deadlines looming in the air that had nothing to do with Synergy and Tony had been awake for days prior to the interview.

On top of that, Tony hadn’t been looking forward to being in the same room with his so-called surrogate father, Obadiah Stane. The two had been bumping heads lately, to say the least, and the last thing Tony needed to deal with was an unflinching Obie who thought he knew how to run the company better. Also, Tony was still too awkward around Pepper to have a normal conversation since their breakup last year, even when it came to discussing business. Nick Fury had been the only person in the interview process that Tony wasn’t on the outs with, which wasn’t saying much.

“Wanna have dinner tonight? I had promised Peter I would stop by when back in town.” Rhodey continued to examine Steve’s file. He made a few pleased-sounding noises as he flipped through page after page.

“Fuck. I need to pick him up. I forgot to schedule a pickup with Happy. But yeah sure.” Tony sighed with so much anguish in his voice that it caused Rhodey to look up from Steve’s file, startled.

Tony swiveled in his chair as he sunk down lower into it.

_And considering my track record, Peter will most likely end up hating me, too…_

Peter Parker, Tony’s adopted nine-year-old son, was _another_ reason why he had been off the day of the interview. Honestly, the last couple years had been like that. Learning how to parent a small child had been tough in the beginning and he felt like he was just now getting a hang of it, but some days, like that interview day, were the hardest.

Before their untimely deaths, Peter’s biological parents had worked at Stark Industries for a number of years. Both Tony and Pepper had grown close to the Parkers and Tony confidently counted them among the friends he could trust. Although he had been close to them, Tony had never expected the couple to leave him custody of their child in case of an accident, which happened about two years ago.

The Parkers had been on their way home late after working on a project deadline before a semitruck slammed into their car on the freeway. Tony wasn’t sure if he could take care of _himself_, let alone a kid, but he knew he would be doing Peter a disservice if he hadn’t taken him in. Peter had other extended family, like his Aunt May, but she wasn’t able to care for him fulltime, nor had the means to support him financially. Surprisingly, May had been more than appreciative that Tony was able to give Peter a comfortable life. When it came to the adoption, Tony had remained mindful of changing Peter’s last name; he cared for Peter and truly thought of him as his son, but it seemed disrespectful to his parents and his aunt to change his name.

The first few months were a little bumpy, but after a while Tony and Peter began spending more time together, effortlessly clicking on anything related to science and technology. Eventually Peter grew attached to Tony and vice versa. Tony had vowed upon adopting Peter that he would never treat him the way his dad had when he was a child.

The two hit a snag, however, after Pepper broke things off with Tony last year, but Tony managed to regroup with the help of Rhodey and Bruce Banner, another friend of his who was as big a science nerd as he was. Tony couldn’t fathom where he would be after Pepper if he didn’t have Bruce and Rhodey to help him along with Peter’s Aunt May.

Yet, Tony was still incredibly terrified of fucking up his parental responsibilities. The day of the interview, however, he had forgotten that he needed to be at Peter’s school later in the day for a parent-teacher meeting, so his attention was divided while the others took control of the law student’s interview. Tony had felt somewhat terrible about not fully participating, but it sounded like the student knew what he was talking about and he seemed reserved and a willing team player. If only he had remembered where Steve attended law school…

Yeah, sometimes Tony appeared aloof, but he _was_ a little intrigued by the younger man’s steadfast personality. And he may have talked about him a _little_ too much with Rhodey one night while relaxing with a beer or two, which explains why Rhodey already knew Steve’s hair color.

“Okay, great. You know, they say it’s difficult, but it sounds like you’re getting the hang of it, despite this little snafu.” Tony knew Rhodey was alluding to his anxiety over parenting Peter beyond the failed scheduled pickup.

Tony smiled meekly. “Thanks, Rhodey. I really appreciate it,” he then fluttered his eyelashes as he changed the fluctuation in his voice, “and it helps having someone as big _and_ strong as you to help from time to time.”

“You would be lost without me, Tone.” Rhodey smirked as he tossed Steve’s file onto Tony’s desk. The force of the toss propelled the file into Tony’s lap who laughed as soon as it hit his stomach.

“Come over around 5:30. I need to make sure Peter works on his homework before he goes to bed.” Tony watched Rhodey rise out of his chair to head toward the office door.

“Will do. I’ll see you both tonight.” Rhodey stopped short before exiting the office. He put his hand on the door and turned slightly to look back at Tony.

“Also…take your time, Tony. You’re great and you deserve the best. Just take your time.” He lingered, tapping his fingers a few times on the door before finally closing it.

Tony stared at the closed door. He knew Rhodey was referring to their last conversation in which Tony had given Rhodey the full rundown on his first impressions of Steve Rogers. Was he that obvious? He must have been if Rhodey had felt the need to show him support, or a sly warning of sorts?

Although a little annoyed that he couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut, Tony mused. He _did_ find Steve attractive. But besides tolling in the fallout from his last relationship, the thought of even thinking about pursing one with Steve seemed like a bad idea to begin with. He didn’t even know him. He would probably barely see him. He was probably already seeing someone else.

But the idea was intriguing, nevertheless—

“Fuck! I gotta get Peter. I almost forgot.” Tony’s relaxed smile turned into a look of determination as he jumped out of his chair, grabbed his things and rushed out of the office.


	2. Chapter 2

“When are you supposed to start again?”

Steve watched Bucky take a swig of his beer as his friend lightly grilled him about any possible detail related to Project Synergy.

“The 30th. He already said that, Buck.” Sam playfully nudged Bucky in his bionic prosthetic arm as he drank from his beer. The three friends were sitting in a booth at their favorite dive bar not too far away from Steve and Sam’s apartment in Brooklyn.

Bucky had just flown into the city and would be staying for a couple weeks before shipping out abroad for the rest of the year. After that, Bucky would have the choice to continue his service in the states and the three friends were hoping to get a bigger place together in the future.

“I have to be there at 8am. Wanna stick around and drive me to ensure I get there on time, dear?” Steve smirked. Bucky rolled his eyes while Sam chuckled.

“I’m just interested in your life, _honey_. Sorry if that makes me sound naggy.” Bucky huffed as Sam nudged him in the arm again. “Also, stop jabbing me in my arm, Sam. I’m fully aware of how annoying I’m being right now.”

“Hey, I’m just glad we managed to get Steve out to celebrate.” Sam smiled at Steve as he raised his glass toward his friend who returned the gesture.

Usually, Bucky and Sam would have a tough time getting Steve to go out with them. Steve preferred staying in and making dinner while trading memories amongst themselves privately. This time around, however, Bucky and Sam had successfully convinced their friend that he needed to be more social. Although a little irritated by the pestering, Steve understood why: it had been awhile since he had been in a relationship, or on a date for that matter, and he knew his friends were only being nice in their efforts to get him to meet new people.

And now that Steve was about to begin a new time sucker embodied in the form of Project Synergy, the two friends were particularly adamant about getting Steve out before they would see or hear little of him. Sam had started a job at a new law firm and could only hang out on the weekends and Bucky could only visit occasionally. Also, Bucky was in town for just a short while and Steve _knew_ the person who probably knew him the best would give him the hardest time since they hadn’t seen each other in a few months.

“So, what else is there to know about Project Synergy? That letter they sent you was super vague.” Sam wasn’t as nosy as Bucky, but Steve could tell that he was also fascinated by this mysterious project.

“I’m not completely sure, actually. I haven’t come across any red flags yet, though.” Steve took a sip out of his beer as he noticed that Bucky was practically glaring at him.

“Just that Tony Stark seems as much of a jerk as his celebrity personae.” Bucky scoffed. Steve had told his friend over the phone how unapproachable Tony had appeared during the interview. And of course, Bucky had been more annoyed than Steve.

Steve shrugged. “Maybe. Or he was having a bad day. I don’t actually know so I can’t really speculate.” Although Tony’s behavior had been irritating, Steve decided to give the man the benefit of the doubt. He often gave others the benefit of the doubt; it was something he had learned to do while in the army, but his natural disposition leant toward it.

“Well that makes you a better person than the rest of us, Cap.” Steve could always count on Sam to lighten the mood, especially when Bucky spiraled into one of his overly protective stints.

“I’m not better than anyone I know, and I haven’t gotten to know yet. Just human.” Steve was serious as he retorted his friend’s otherwise kind statement. He hated being the center of attention and any egoistical behavior that came with it. It was more or less the same with being called “Cap”.

“Yeah, _only_ a humble man would say that about himself, Cap.” Bucky smirked as he clinked Steve’s glass. Steve could tell that Bucky was just teasing him which eased his apprehension.

Since childhood, Steve and Bucky had always been close. They graduated high school together, attended nearby universities for undergad and entered the army together. Steve stayed in the hospital with Bucky when he lost his arm after a combat mission. Bucky had taken bereavement leave to visit Steve after the latter’s mother died from cancer following his first year of law school.

As the two friends went their separate ways after Steve matriculated into Columbia, it had been difficult going from seeing Bucky almost every single day to only a few months at a time. But since becoming close with Sam, who had overlapped with Steve at Columbia’s law school and also served in the military, Steve found the long absences in his relationship with Bucky a bit more tolerable. The three of them had gotten close and now Sam and Bucky talked on a regular basis without Steve. Steve looked forward to having Bucky around as part of his normal routine and was thankful that his newest best friend got along with his oldest.

“We should go out after your meeting.” Sam chimed in.

“After? It’s at 8am, Sam.” Steve huffed.

“Well, what time is it over with?” Bucky inquired.

“I think maybe around 5? We’re getting an introduction to the project then a tour of the facilities.” Steve answered before sipping his beer.

“Ooo, the ‘facilities’.” Sam joked. He did a little shimmy as he waved their waitress over.

Steve rolled his eyes as Bucky laughed. “Well you can go out _after_ the meeting, Steve.” Bucky smirked before the waitress made her way over to the table.

“Then, we’ll celebrate again when I’m back in town for your graduation.” Bucky motioned toward Steve and winked before he gave the waitress the same order from before.

Steve laughed nervously as the waitress shot him a flirtatious glance. Both Bucky and Sam erupted with fits of laughter at their friend’s expense after the waitress left their table.

“Steve, we can’t take you _anywhere_.” Sam scrunched up his face as he shook his head.

“You know, I would not be surprised if you get hit on by one of your teammates. If that happens, your head will explode.” Bucky grinned.

Steve, face bright red, shook his head. He hadn’t thought about the possibility of becoming romantically involved with anyone on the team. To him, Synergy was only about helping people on a national and global scale, not a hook-up scene.

“Watch it be someone totally out of left field like…Tony Stark.” Sam joked which prompted Bucky to continue laughing uncontrollably.

Steve winced as his friends fell over each other at something he didn’t find that funny. Tony Stark barely seemed like someone he could get along with, let alone date. Besides, he probably wasn’t the man’s type anyway.

“You guys suck.” Steve tried to counter, but Sam and Bucky were doubled over one another laughing so loudly it nearly disturbed the other patrons.

* * *

Steve could barely believe his eyes as he glanced up at the tower that housed Stark Industries. Steve was a New Yorker through and through, but the sight of this particular skyscraper was dizzying. He realized that he had never really looked at Stark Tower, and now the building seemed absolutely imposing.

_God, this building is so ugly._

Steve took a deep breath as he entered the lobby. He looked around at the people rushing in and out of the building, almost bumping into a woman who was talking on her phone while checking her watch. Steve managed to maneuver around another stranger as he walked up to the security desk.

“Sign in.” The security guard at the desk used her pen to point toward a sign-in sheet on the counter.

Steve cleared his throat. “I…uh…there should be a security badge for me. Steve Rogers.”

The security guard gave him the once over before looking through a series of unclaimed badges in front of her. She finally found Steve’s before handing it over. She pointed to the sign-in sheet again.

“You’ll still need to sign in since this is your first visit.” Her penetrating stare made Steve understandably uneasy.

“Oh, okay.” Steve smiled as he wrote his name and signature on the sheet.

“Take the elevator up to the seventieth floor.”

Steve nodded and thanked the guard before heading over to the security check point before the elevator bank. He obediently followed directions as the guards scanned him. Once in the elevator, Steve took another deep breath before pressing the button to the seventieth floor.

As soon as the door opened, Steve exhaled as he stepped out into the hallway. He looked to his left and saw two glass doors with the words “RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT” embossed on the glass. Steve easily pried open the otherwise unnecessarily heavy glass doors before walking up to the receptionist desk.

“Hi. I’m Steve Rogers. I’m here for—”

“Project Synergy. Nice to meet you, Mr. Rogers. Please turn left and follow the hallway all the way down to the conference room. The meeting will begin promptly at 8am.” Steve nodded as he followed the receptionist’s directions.

The hallway was really a glass corridor; Steve could see Stark Industries employees working in various labs along the hallway as he approached the conference room. Once he reached the door, he stopped briefly to regain his composure; he had never been so nervous before.

“Ah, Mr. Rogers. Glad to see you again.”

Steve felt a strong hand take a hold of his shoulder as he instantly recognized the gruff, yet pleasant-sounding voice. Steve felt his anxiety dissipate bit by bit as he turned around to face Nick Fury. Fury was standing behind him, now crossing his arms. He was wearing an all-black suit that matched his jet-black eye patch. Steve instinctively moved to salute him but instantly eased once he reminded himself to relax.

“Nice to see you as well, Colonel.” Steve held out his hand for Fury to shake.

“Please, call me Nick. We’re colleagues.” Fury smiled as Steve reciprocated awkwardly. He felt silly being so personal with someone like Fury, but he appreciated the offer.

“That’s something I’ll need to get used to.” Steve said with as little effort as possible which earned him a twinkle in the eye from Fury.

Fury chuckled before clasping Steve’s shoulder again. He gestured toward the door. Steve exhaled deeply before nodding his head. He took one more deep breath as he let Fury brush past him to open the door into the conference room. Steve hesitated as Fury continued into the room, walking past a few people as he made his way to the front of the table.

Steve looked around. He saw a woman, probably near his age, wearing all black. Steve commented to himself how strikingly red her hair was. Next to her was a man who appeared to be a bit older. He fidgeted uncomfortably; he constantly readjusted his eyeglasses and peered around the room as if to make note of the closest means of escape. The red-haired women next to him noticed before whispering something to him in another language. Steve thought it sounded like Russian.

Next to Fury was a larger, muscular man with blond hair. He was smiling, but not in a creepy way. More so in an overly welcoming way that Steve didn’t really feel from the first two. Next to the blond giant was another man lounging in a chair at the table. He was dressed more casually and seemed to be bored already.

_I guess this is the team. _Steve thought to himself. He also took note of Tony’s absence. _Maybe he also doesn’t attend the team meetings._

“Okay everyone. I want you to meet the newest member of our team. Steve Rogers, a decorated military vet who now studies law at Columbia University.” Fury reached out across the table in Steve’s direction. Everyone else in the room turned to stare at him.

“Hello.” Steve murmured, raising a hand to wave slightly. He immediately shoved it back into his slacks to avoid looking silly.

Fury pointed to the woman with the red hair. “Rogers, this is Natasha Romanov. Romanov works closely with me; we managed to steal her away from the Russians.” The last statement seemed to amuse Fury.

Steve nodded in Natasha’s direction which was returned with a steady nod, but it was accompanied with a kind smile that was a bit on the sly side.

“Dr. Banner, who works here at Stark Industries. One of their best scientists.” Fury pointed to the anxious looking man next to Natasha.

“Bruce is fine.” Bruce inched a little closer toward Steve to shake his hand. Steve gave Bruce a firm handshake and a nod.

Fury turned to point to the blond colossus. “This is Dr. Blak—”

“But my friends call me Thor!” The tall blond man shouted with gaiety in a British, maybe Australian, accent. He walked briskly up to Steve, giving him the warmest handshake he had ever received up until that point in his life, which he wasn’t sure was physically possible.

“Uh, nice to meet you…Thor.” Steve responded, not quite sure how to seriously address someone who had chosen to be referred to as the Norse god.

“We also managed to steal Dr. Blake away from an astrophysics lab in New Mexico.” Fury explained, refusing to use Thor’s nickname.

“And this is Clint Barton.” Fury pointed toward the man still lounging in his chair. Clint only waved at Steve before crossing his arms behind his head.

“Barton—well Barton, what _is_ it that you do?” Fury crossed his arms as he glared at Clint.

Clint sighed. “I’m a mercenary.” He casually answered as if that wasn’t the most bizarre thing Steve had ever heard anyone utter.

_A mercenary? _Steve thought to himself, not entirely sure if Clint was joking.

Steve had never been in the presence of such a diverse group of people. The project was becoming more of a reality, but that didn’t intimidate him at all. 

“Okay. Now that we’ve gotten introductions out of the way, let’s begin, shall we?” Fury clapped his hands together as everyone took the remaining seats at the table. The lights dimmed as Fury began explaining Project Synergy, holding a clicker in his hand. Steve could barely control his excitement as he whipped out a notebook and a pencil from his knapsack.

“Project Synergy.” The title flashed across a projection on the wall behind Fury. A diverse group of faces looped in the background as the title continued to fly about. The images moved from the center of the room to the side walls as scenes of various types of natural disasters, human ailments, and catastrophes filtered throughout the room.

“Our world is becoming more unmanageable and destructive by the minute. No longer can we rely on traditional methods to protect and sustain ourselves and our fellow people. This calls for alternative means.”

Steve could barely focus on one image as Fury spoke. He glanced around the room and noticed that the rest of his teammates seemed just as transfixed as he was.

“To solve this crisis, Stark Industries is teaming up with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division, or S.H.I.E.L.D. for short, to—”

“Make the world a magical fairytale with lollipops and rainbows, right? Or have the plans changed on me once again?”

Steve swiveled around in his chair, mimicking the call to attention that was given by everyone else in the room at the sound of Tony Stark’s voice. Tony stood in the doorway of the room, wearing a grey blazer with a Black Sabbath band t-shirt underneath, complete with jeans. He was fiddling with a pair of sunglasses in his hands. Steve hadn’t meant to stare, but he also didn’t think he would see Tony again until later in the project.

“Ah, nice of you to join us, Stark. And _almost_ on time.” Fury motioned for Tony to join him at the front. Tony plopped his sunglasses into the breast pocket of his blazer before sauntering to the front of the room. Natasha sighed heavily; Bruce nodded; Thor smiled; and Clint rolled his eyes. Steve was the only one who hadn’t reacted visibly to Tony’s grand entrance; however, he did glare a little at Tony as the latter finally joined Fury.

_Yeah, nice of you to join us._ Steve thought, his annoyance seeping.

“Sorry I’m late. But you know the deal, Fury, when you asked me to work on this thing. I have other matters to attend to.” Tony smirked.

Steve could tell that Fury was over whatever Tony was serving, but the older man never flinched. Steve appreciated Fury’s doggedness especially when dealing with people who seemed to have an inflated sense of themselves.

“Take a seat, Stark. Or would you like to finish the presentation?” Fury crossed his arms as Tony waved his arms about before sitting down in a chair next to Thor.

“Nope. You’re doing a fabulous job. Please continue and don’t mind me.” Tony lounged. He glanced around the room before settling in his chair. He quickly acknowledged everyone but lingered the longest as he looked over in Steve’s direction. Steve remained undaunted, but there was something about Tony, like after his final interview, that Steve found a bit captivating. Tony grinned before facing forward to listen to Fury finish the presentation.

Fury pressed a button on his clicker to continue the epic slide show.

“As I was saying before, Stark Industries is teaming up with a government division called S.H.I.E.L.D. to test new technology that will assist the populace on the ground. No longer will the average citizen have to wade through bureaucratic tape to see change.”

A holographic image of a device appeared in the middle of the conference table. Everyone crowded around it to get a better look.

“This, the Synergy device, will assist in that endeavor.” Fury pressed another button on his clicker which made the device pull apart in perfect unison. Everyone, except Tony and Fury, gasped as the pieces flew across the room.

“This device right here will allow our team to help someone in need immediately. Using your specialized skills, the user will be able to program the device to assist effectively and sufficiently. And this—” Fury clicked another button which caused the device to collapse onto itself and disappear. The room returned to its normal light intensity, “—is just the beginning.”

Steve blinked a few times before gauging the reaction of everyone else in the room. Both Clint and Thor appeared a bit perplexed. Natasha’s expression hadn’t really changed since Steve first met her and both Bruce and Tony were grinning uncontrollably.

“So…what is it?” Clint asked as he leaned further back into his chair. Steve thought he was close to falling over.

“_It’s_ Synergy, Barton.” Tony jumped up to the front of the room before Fury could answer him. “You know, the wave of the future, blah, blah, blah.” Clint looked even more confused than before.

Fury stepped forward. “It was originally launched toward the end of the Second World War, created by Howard Stark and his team.” As Fury explained the origins of the story, Steve noticed that Tony looked visibly uncomfortable at the mentioning of whomever Howard Stark was.

_I guess that was a relative of his? Maybe his father? _Steve figured he would find out sooner or later.

“The device has been upgraded.” Tony chimed in. He walked around toward the other side of the table near Bruce and Natasha. “The Synergy device was just a pipe dream for Howard. We’re going to make it a reality. We now have full access to a crucial material resource to make it happen.”

“What’s this material resource?” Clint asked as he crossed his arms.

Tony pulled a clicker out of the inner pocket of his blazer. He smirked in Fury’s direction who only crossed his arms as he rolled his eyes.

Tony pressed a button. “We now have full access to a material resource called vibranium.” A holographic image of a tube containing a glowing blue substance appeared in the air above the table. Everyone, if they weren’t already standing, rose out of their chairs to look closer at the image.

“Vibranium? More of it? How?” Thor questioned. He was rubbing his chin as he posed in the most thoughtful looking stance.

Tony chuckled. “I know a guy.” Thor still looked confused.

Fury sighed. “The government, with the help of Stark Industries, managed to strike a secret deal with the African country Wakanda that exports the material as a surplus—S.H.I.E.L.D. has a close relationship with their king, T’Challa. Needless to say, we’re paying less than any private or public company to import the stuff.” Fury explained. Everyone, except Steve, nodded in unison.

“So, we’re going to use this to power the Synergy thing?” Clint had risen from his chair, leaning so much over the table that his head almost penetrated the image of the vibranium.

“Or, we’re using the vibranium to stabilize the core of the Synergy device, but yes.” Tony corrected as pedantically as possible.

Clint quickly looked around the room. “Didn’t I just say that?”

“So, what’s the plan? When do we start?” Thor clapped his hands before rubbing them together. To Steve, he looked the most excited.

“Well we need to do another test run after we show you all the labs first.” Tony pressed a button on his clicker before depositing it into his pocket. The image of the vibranium spun around before collapsing onto itself. Tony glanced upward and accidentally locked eyes with Steve. Steve looked over at Fury to avoid any prolonged contact.

“I’m going to divide the team up. Two-person mini teams to a lab.” Fury pointed to Clint then to Natasha. “Barton, you’re with Romanov.” Clint smirked at Natasha who returned the expression.

“Dr. Blake, you’re with Stark.” Thor nodded in Tony’s general direction. Tony shoved his hands into his jeans as he barely nodded back.

“That leaves Rogers with Dr. Banner.” Steve smiled at Bruce who acknowledged him with a kind, yet nervous looking smile.

Tony clapped his hands together to indicate he was ready to move on to the labs. “Okay, let’s roll out, gang.”

Everyone shuffled around to find their lab buddy. Bruce clapped a hand onto Steve’s shoulder as he started asking him questions about any lab experience he might have had in the past. Steve did his best to answer, but besides not having any lab experience, he was still a tad overwhelmed by the magnitude of Synergy.

Steve leaned downward to pick up his bag. He heard the others, as they made their way out of the conference room, welcome him to the team. But instead of hearing Tony’s voice, all Steve was left with, as he glimpsed once more around the room before leaving with Bruce, was an awkward looking Tony with his hands in his jeans staring in his general direction. Steve smiled as best as he could but didn’t wait for Tony to reciprocate. He felt too uneasy himself to really acknowledge their team leader.


	3. Chapter 3

Fury pulled Tony to the side as everyone exited the room. Tony groaned loudly; he knew he wasn’t going to like what Fury had to say from the man’s facial expression.

“I’ve just changed my mind about the teams. I want Rogers in your lab.” Fury directed with his voice a little low.

Tony made a whiny noise. “What? Why? I thought he was going with Bruce?” Although Tony had been impressed with Steve’s resume, he didn’t feel like hand holding the newest team member, especially with all the background shit going on at Stark Industries and in his personal life.

But to be honest, Tony mostly wanted to avoid Steve because he felt like he might have embarrassed himself by constantly staring at their newest team member during the project introduction. Something about Steve was very appealing, well besides the fact that he was extremely attractive. Yet, Tony knew he needed to get his own life in order before even considering asking anyone out. Also getting involved with another Synergy member would be a huge no-no. Although Rhodey had been kind about the possibility (again, if there was one), he wasn’t sure how others would react, especially the Stark Industries board.

Fury clasped Tony’s shoulder. To Tony, it felt like the grip was on the verge of crushing it, but Fury only held on tightly. Even so, the feeling made Tony squirm.

“No offense to Dr. Banner and his capabilities, but you’re the best brain we have on this project, Stark. I think Rogers would benefit learning a thing or two from you.”

Usually Tony appreciated flattery, but he knew Fury was only using it to get him to train Steve on the tech.

He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t we need him to do all the legal shit? Why would hanging out in my lab help him with that?”

Fury stared Tony down as if silently telling him he had no idea what he was talking about. “How can our legal person do his work if he’s unaware of the specifics? Besides, the point of this venture is to collaborate with others, Stark. Now, I know you don’t usually like working with other people but think of this as a mentoring opportunity.”

“I shouldn’t be _anyone’s_ mentor. You’re aware of my past relationship with the tabloids, right?” Tony tried to free himself from Fury’s grasp, but it proved to be too much of an effort. He settled on leaning into it, just enough to maybe make Fury feel a little uncomfortable.

“I’m well aware,” Fury responded as he backed away from a grinning Tony, “but I think having Rogers in your lab will not only make him more valuable to the team but may also help you more than you realize.”

Tony leaned backward as he crossed his arms. Maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible having such a distractedly good-looking person working closely with him every day. Steve might even turn out to be a horrible person and Tony would only have to work with him on a professional basis. He nodded to himself that that would probably be the case. Well that and Steve could probably have anyone. Why in the world would he be interested in Tony?

“So, we’re good?” A firm pat on the back brought Tony out of his thoughts.

Tony nodded with a sigh. “Doesn’t sound like I have a choice either way.”

Fury chuckled before walking away. “That’s what I like to hear!”

* * *

“So, I’ll probably have you stationed over at this console, but I may move you after learning more about the device after we test it a few more times.” Bruce shuffled around Steve, moving back and forth between various-sized consoles. He picked up a few gadgets, turned them over and over, before setting them down in different locations.

Steve patiently watched the man shuffle about, more curious than anything else by Bruce’s intensity. He was still a little confused by Synergy and its goals, but it helped seeing the device they were tasked to use. Steve had never seen anything like it, let alone the elaborate presentation one of the interns probably cobbled together the night before.

It was also interesting to hear Tony talk about the project and see how he interacted with other people. He seemed a bit like Steve had imagined based on their first encounter, but there was something human about Tony when Fury mentioned the original team and Howard Stark. He wondered to himself who this person meant to Tony because whomever he was, Tony acted like a completely different person, albeit briefly.

“So how do you feel about Synergy? It’s great isn’t it?” Bruce barely looked back at Steve as he continued to whirl around, checking a tablet as he studied each console.

“Yes. It’s very exciting. I’m interested in seeing what it can actually do.” Steve moved out of the way as Bruce ducked in front of him. Bruce nodded vigorously with a huge grin as soon as he finally stood still.

“Oh yeah, that’s the best part, Steve.” Bruce dipped his eyeglasses downward to look at Steve. He noticed that the older man appeared to be studying him.

“Sure, of course. I’ve been in unpredictable situations before, but this is something completely different altogether.” Steve walked up to one of the consoles to investigate its features. He pressed a button and an image of the Synergy device appeared from thin air. Steve could hardly keep himself from gawking.

“Oh, and…uh…thank you for your service.” He heard Bruce offer awkwardly. In the past, it had bothered Steve whenever he was out and about in his uniform or told someone about his service and they responded with the same phrase. After a while, he realized people were trying to be nice or genuinely appreciative, so Steve just nodded and smiled whenever it was uttered.

Steve turned around to acknowledge Bruce who then walked up to the console to fiddle around with the image of the Synergy device. Steve watched him pull the device apart. Bruce then zoomed into one of the pieces, running a scan. Both men studied the data has it raced up the screen.

A disgruntled sound caused both Steve and Bruce to turn around abruptly. They laid their eyes on a sullen-looking Tony making his way from the entrance of the lab to the other side.

Tony pointed toward Steve as he rushed past. “Rogers. You’re with me.” He continued walking to exit the lab, never looking back at Bruce and Steve.

“Uh, but I thought I was working with Dr. Banner?” The statement morphed into a question as Steve looked at Bruce with a confused look on his face. Bruce just shrugged.

“Sorry, Fury’s orders!” Tony was practically outside of the lab as he shouted back.

Steve glanced at Bruce once more, who only shrugged once more before turning around to walk over to the console with the exploded Synergy device. Steve watched him walk away before sprinting out of the lab to catch up with Tony. He managed to catch up with his new partner before he disappeared down another corridor.

“Okay, we get _it_, Rogers. You’re fast.” Tony smirked as he felt Steve near him. To Steve, it appeared as if Tony was joking, but the joke had an unmistakable edge to it. He told himself he would need to get use to the man’s personality in order to survive working in a lab together.

“Well, I’ve always been a sprinter.” Steve answered in a deadpan sort of way. Tony only huffed as he tried to get ahead of him before they walked into his lab.

Steve was used to obeying orders and had always been an agreeable child and adult prior to entering the army. Inside, he was apprehensive about working so closely with Tony after witnessing his blasé behavior from before. But on the outside, Steve was just as resolute as ever.

“Welcome back, Sir.” Steve abruptly stopped short after entering the lab as a dispassionate, non-human voice appeared out of nowhere.

Tony pointed to the ceiling as he walked to the center of the lab. “J.A.R.V.I.S., meet Steve Rogers. Rogers, meet J.A.R.V.I.S.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rogers.” The voice answered.

Steve looked around as if he were trying to find the source of the voice. “Uh, nice to you meet, too…J.A.R.V.I.S…”

Steve heard Tony chuckle. “Just a Rather Very Intelligent System, or J.A.RV.I.S. He’s my computer system.”

Steve nodded slowly but his face betrayed his puzzlement.

“Please set yourself up over there. And don’t touch anything.” Tony pointed toward a console near a table, ignoring his lab mate’s bewilderment. Steve winced as he walked over toward the console and set his things down on a nearby table. The table was disorganized, but Steve figure he could clean it up after Tony felt comfortable enough for him to contribute.

“I’m just a little overly protective of my space.” Steve turned around to see Tony leaning up against another console with his arms crossed. He was looking downward and away from Steve. Steve stood firmly in place, resting his hands on his hips to try for a more relaxed stance, which he was sure came off more standoffish than anything else.

Silence hung in the air as Steve tried to figure out how to respond. He looked around, anywhere really except at Tony who was now fidgeting. He wasn’t sure why he suddenly felt nervous; while with Bruce he felt at ease, but now with Tony, he could feel obvious tension between the two.

Steve cleared his throat when it became clear that Tony was still waiting for him to say something.

“I didn’t think I would get a chance to work with you, Mr. Stark.” Steve hoped the statement didn’t sound offensive.

Tony made a face before he uncrossed his arms to reach into the breast pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a pair of eyeglasses before placing them delicately on the bridge of his nose.

“First, please don’t _ever _refer to me as ‘Mr. Stark’—Tony is just fine. Second, originally the plan was for me to be hands off, but, as you’ll get to know me better, I’m never hands off, especially when it comes to anything coming out of my labs.” Tony pointed toward himself before pushing away from the console.

Tony then cautiously walked toward Steve before stopping short. Steve felt like moving backward, but he was still hyper aware of possibly offending Tony.

“Well, I hope I’ll be an effective member in this endeavor.” Steve answered as Tony smiled at him. Something about the smile felt half warm and half fake as if Tony were smiling during a press conference.

“Oh, _you’ll_ be effective. Fury wouldn’t have been okay with you joining the program of you weren’t.” Tony winked at Steve before spinning around to walk over to another series of consoles. Steve stayed put as he watched Tony rapidly tap a few times on a screen.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., bring up an image of the Synergy device, please.”

Steve watched his lab partner manipulate the image just like Bruce had done, but Tony was quicker with the controls. He hummed to himself as he studied the data on the screen, flipping through hardware and software specs with ease.

“So, this program is almost seventy years old. It’s great that you have the resources to finish it.” Steve offered as he stepped closer toward Tony.

Tony’s body suddenly went still before he slowly turned around to face Steve. He looked solemn now; the cocky expression on his face had become stern.

“Well, yeah I guess it’s nice having _these_ government connections. Howard would have killed for such access.” Tony whipped back around to face the console. Steve took a chance, even though it wasn’t the wisest decision he had ever made.

“Is Howard your father?” Steve asked, almost muttering.

Tony continued to study the data on the hologram, never breaking his rhythm as he scrolled up and down with one finger. “Unfortunately, he _was_.” From the tone in Tony’s voice, Steve could tell that that was the end of the conversation. No further questions asked.

Steve cleared his throat as he attempted to shift the direction of the conversation. “So, what else can you tell me about this?” He pointed to the image as he joined Tony side by side. Steve could tell that the redirection in the conversation had been greatly appreciated; Tony’s tone returned to be being annoyingly lighthearted.

“Well we know that it can handle the energy generated by the vibranium core and that it doesn’t take much to construct a core.” Tony slid the image of the device to the side as he pulled up an image of the vibranium core, complete with a dimensional scale. Steve leaned closer toward the image. He was completely captivated by its color and intensity.

“Which is good because there’s a possibility that we’ll need to manufacture more of this thing once we figure out what its limits are.” Steve added.

Steve could see Tony, out of the corner of his eye, grinning uncontrollably. “Point one for Team Rogers. Exactly.” Tony slid the image of the vibranium core to the side to pull the Synergy device apart for Steve.

“Right now, we only have one workable device. If we can successfully prove to the government that Synergy works and that it won’t deplete the source of virbanium anytime soon, they’ll send Stark Industries a contract to build the rest.”

Tony slid the image toward Steve who looked confused by what to do. “It’s like using a smartphone or a tablet. Just fiddle around with it with your fingers.” Steve watched Tony make a few motions with his fingers.

“Uh, okay. I’m not use to smartphones or tablets.” Steve mimicked Tony’s motions.

Tony gasped loudly. Steve thought it sounded like someone had hit him from behind. “You’re not use to smartphones or tablets and _you’re_ a millennial? That’s a first.”

Steve smirked. Tony’s reaction wasn’t entirely annoying like when his friends teased him about his lack of experience with technology.

“Yeah, it’s a personal preference of mine.” Steve spun around the image a few times. After a couple swipes and zooms, he felt like he was quickly getting a hang of the controls.

Steve heard Tony coo next to him then laugh before turning toward another console. Steve smiled; it was becoming clear that whatever tension that had existed between the two of them had loosened a little.

“Well, you’ll become a tech expert after working on this for sure.” Tony called over. Steve smiled as he glanced over at Tony who was spinning around an image of the Synergy device. Unexpectedly, he couldn’t help but actually start to appreciate his lab mate’s handsome features, which he promptly mentally kicked himself for because they were supposed to be working, not ogling.

_Besides, I’m not his type. _Steve reassured himself.

Steve returned to studying the vibranium core. He took a notebook out of his bag and began quickly sketching. He jotted down a few notes around the drawing of the core before closing his notebook.

He had been so wrapped up in analyzing the core through sketch that he almost didn’t hear Tony call for him.

“Rogers, let me show you the other labs and facilities. We’ll also discuss the project more with the rest of the team.” Steve turned around to acknowledge a content-looking Tony.

* * *

_Later that day…_

Tony swiveled back and forth in his desk chair. He shuffled through his notes as he tried to concentrate on his work, however his thoughts kept returning to his brief interaction with Steve in the lab. Their time together had been a lot more pleasant than he had expected. Also, Tony had been extremely impressed with Steve’s quickness at picking up the tech.

He thought about the way his new lab mate had sketched the image of the vibranium core. As he moved from console to console, Tony had noticed out of the corner of his eye Steve sketching and notating in his notebook. Tony took a moment to observe his mannerisms as Steve illustrated the core, taking note of the care Steve made with every stroke of his pencil.

Part of him appreciated that Steve hadn’t taken a picture of the core on a smartphone, which would have been impossible anyway since his lab partner didn’t own one.

_Still can’t believe that’s the case. _Tony silently chuckled to himself.

However, if Steve _had_ taken a photo of the tech, there was a possibility the image could be leaked, and Tony had way too many enemies to keep track of who would love to steal the Synergy specs.

Tony pretended to study the files as he continued to think about Steve. Although he wasn’t in the position to be dating, especially someone who was twelve years his junior, having someone around like Steve in his lab would be a nice change of pace and scenery. Yeah, maybe constantly staring at someone as beautiful as Steve Rogers would brighten up his day just a little more.

_I’m totally okay with silently objectifying Rogers. _Tony sneered.

A sharp buzz from his phone interrupted the thought. He turned the phone over, which was on his desk upside down, to peer at a message from Pepper. Tony sucked in a breath of air as he read the message.

**Pepper:** Would you like to have dinner with me sometime this week?

Tony’s heart sank. He needed more time to get over Pepper, so it wasn’t helpful whenever she suggested meeting up. Tony had always found a way to get out of it, but ever since launching the Synergy program, Pepper had increased her efforts to get him to talk to her.

Tony stared at the message for a minute or two before he heard a knock at his door. He flinched, but before he could answer, the door cracked open revealing Obadiah Stane. Tony groaned in his head but was sure his expression conveyed neutrality.

_Just what I need._

“Anthony, I need to speak with you.” Obadiah walked into the room and took a seat in front of Tony’s desk. He undid the button to his suit jacket before settling down, looking around as he investigated Tony’s office.

Tony waited for the older man to continue, even though he could really care less at this point. It was becoming clear, especially during the final interview stage, that Obadiah had been slowly trying to push him out of Project Synergy.

Ever since Tony’s father and mother, Howard and Maria Stark, died, there had been a very public power struggle between Tony and Obadiah over the control of Stark Industries. After his parents passed, Tony hadn’t been in the condition to properly run the company but was saved when Pepper later stepped in to serve as a figurehead while he got his shit together. Several years later, Tony asked Pepper to serve as the CEO so he could focus on working in his lab more hours during the day. He had no interest in really running the company, but he didn’t want someone like Obadiah in charge; it was obvious that the man would contract projects to mercenaries and private companies to build weapons and Tony was trying to move the company away weapons manufacturing.

“What’s up, Obie?” Tony tried for as casually as possible without letting his growing disdain for someone he used to consider a father figure seep out of his voice.

Obadiah shifted a bit in his chair before answering. Tony remained outwardly nonchalant toward Obadiah’s glaring stare from the other side of his desk.

“You know I’m going to need to see the full specs for the Synergy device. Sooner rather than later.” Tony watched Obadiah drum his fingers on the arm of his chair, waiting patiently for Tony to respond.

“Obie, there’s nothing new to see yet. We’re trying to figure out the full capability of the device. Once that happens, I’m _sure _you’ll be the first to find out.” Tony answered with a slight edge in his voice. He knew that some of Stark Industries’ employees were actually minions for Obadiah. If Obadiah discovered anything before Tony announced it, it was probably because of one of them.

Obadiah eyed Tony as if to call him out on his bullshit. Tony wasn’t lying about the Synergy device, though; it still needed to be tested a few more times which meant that they weren’t sure of its full capabilities.

Tony returned the stare. Both men glared at each other for another moment before Obadiah clapped his hands together, changing his tone.

“Well then. It sounds like everything is running smoothly. Keep me updated.” He jumped out of his chair before briskly walking to exit the office.

Tony sighed. “Really? That could have been an email or a text convo.” Obadiah laughed loudly before leaving. “I miss our one-on-ones, Anthony, so I seize the opportunity whenever it presents itself!” Obadiah practically shouted out in the hallway. “Also, I would love to see Peter!” He added.

Tony rolled his eyes. He knew Obadiah meant that he missed being able to keep tabs on Tony like when he was younger. It had become more difficult for Obadiah to do so after Tony graduated from college and now a more mature Tony had basically shut him out of his personal and most of his business life. Pepper had advised Tony to only deal with Obadiah when necessary to keep up appearances with the board and investors. Tony had wanted to remove Obadiah from the company all together but knew that the board would turn on him if he had done so, let alone a majority of Stark Industries’ investors.

Tony returned to his phone which was now facing down again on his desk. He flipped it over and swiped once until the message from Pepper appeared. Tony sighed before he typed out an affirmative reply. He really needed Pepper when it came to dealing with Obadiah and he figured he owed her dinner and an update on Peter.

Tony waited for Pepper to reply before gathering his things on his desk. As he prepared to slip a document of an annotated image of vibranium into a folder he stopped to think about Steve sketching in the lab. Tony smiled as he inserted the image into the folder, still smiling as he zipped his bag before turning the lights off in his office.


	4. Chapter 4

“So, what have…_or_ haven’t you managed to find out for me, Obadiah? Hopefully, this meeting will be more productive than the last.”

Obadiah cautiously watched Thanos from behind as the scientist busied himself with his work at his desk. Obadiah scowled from the expected rebuke; since entering Thanos’s office, the scientist had yet to turn around and acknowledge him face to face.

“I need results, and if you can’t produce them—”

“Don’t worry about the results, Thanos. We’ll have them in due time, trust me.” Obadiah was hyper aware of his partner-in-tech-crime’s penchant for abrupt bouts of anger. Often, he did his best to avoid a possible tirade. But today, he could hardly stand the way he was being treated; he was going out on a limb while Thanos sat tinkering at his desk.

“Stark Industries won’t survive under Tony Stark without me. He thinks he has his life under control, but there are ways to manipulate him. We just have to wait.” Obadiah crossed his arms.

Thanos stopped his work as he slowly turned around in his chair. Obadiah mentally sighed over the dramatics of such a scene; never had he ever worked with someone who had such an inflated self-importance about themselves. Well, that was besides what he perceived from his strained relationship with Tony.

“Well, then. It _sounds_ handled.” Thanos grinned slightly, emphasizing the word “handled” for effect. The grin was marred by a wicked scar on his chin. Obadiah flashed back the most PR looking smile he could muster, without cringing.

As soon as Fury contacted Stark Industries, and by extension Tony, about Project Synergy, Obadiah knew he needed superior outside help to steal the tech. He knew Tony was working on redirecting the company’s production from weapons manufacturing. Obadiah couldn’t allow him to do that; their biggest clients were top buyers in that business and the company would fold without them.

After initial talks concerning the project, Obadiah had then reached out to a scientist who had worked for Stark Industries when Howard Stark oversaw the company, Dr. Thanos. Under Tony’s brief regime, Thanos had been let go after leaking tech secrets; he subsequently went to work via the black market. However, Obadiah had managed to track him down and convince him to redirect Project Synergy.

Obadiah rocked back and forth on his heels as Thanos returned to his work. He waited patiently for the scientist to address him any further.

“You know the way out, correct?” Thanos asked with his back still turned toward Obadiah, working quietly to himself.

Obadiah huffed as he spun around on his heels to exit the office. “Right, expect a report back soon.”

As soon as he was outside of the office, Obadiah scoffed to himself. He pulled out his phone to place a few calls before heading toward the company limo.

“Look out for the reports…and keep an eye on that newest team member, Steve Rogers. He may be useful…”

* * *

“Whoa, this is too awesome, Steve!” Sam studied Steve’s annotated sketch of the vibranium core at the little table that separated their kitchen and living room. Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man” was quietly playing from the stereo in the living room. Steve was perched against the counter drinking a cup of coffee. He had promised Sam they would celebrate his first day, but he needed a little boost of energy.

“Yeah, and you should see the lab. I’ve never seen a setup quite like that before.”

Steve watched his friend turn his sketch around a few times as Sam read each notation. Steve smiled as he thought back to the lab and the rest of the tour of Stark Industries.

After spending some time in Tony’s lab, the rest of the team had gathered to view the facilities together as Fury explained their project timeline. From the tour, Steve had the chance to fully observe his teammates, who seemed like people he could rely on.

From their playfulness with one another, it was obvious that Natasha and Clint had known each other for a while, but they didn’t act like they were dating. Steve learned later that Clint was married after the latter bombarded him with wallet-sized photos of the Barton family’s last vacation trip. However, it was obvious that something was going on between Natasha and Bruce; both ignored each other as much as possible, acting professional on every level, however there were moments when Steve caught one or the other watching the other. Steve smiled at the thought; he remembered being initially shy like that with his ex-girlfriend, Peggy.

Bruce knew Tony well from working closely with him at Stark Industries, and it was obvious that the two mirrored the other in their love of science and all things nerdy. Steve could tell from their constant banter that they were probably best friends.

Clint and Tony seemed to tolerate each other, but it didn’t appear as if there were any hard feelings between the two. But Steve could sense that Fury was definitely putting up with Tony and vice versa. Natasha seemed to also tolerate Tony, but at times Tony appeared to tease her just to get a rise out of her. Yet, Natasha didn’t seem to take it personally, so Steve figured that she also knew Tony well or well enough not to take him too seriously.

Thor managed to get along with everyone; he even got into a long-drawn-out conversation with Steve about his military service, interests in art, and plans related to his law degree outside of Synergy. Steve appreciated the company as he was still getting use to the various personalities of his teammates.

Tony had acknowledged him once or twice while in the group. Something about it still felt timid, but Steve thought it was more related to Tony’s personality than anything else. Honestly, he was looking forward to getting the chance to work in Tony’s lab. Their short encounter together provided Steve with enough information to figure out a strategy to effectively engage Tony and any of his quirks.

And sure, Tony was brash and harsh at times, but it didn’t really bother Steve. He was planning to give his lab partner a chance before writing him off just based on first impressions.

One awkward moment, however, stuck out in Steve’s mind. The board had decided it was necessary for the team to document their entire project from start to finish, so Steve was unfortunately caught in a few candid photo ops. The awkward moment happened when Bruce snapped a quick photo of Steve and Tony, standing right next to each other with Tony lightly touching Steve on the shoulder.

Steve felt weirder about the fact that there’s a photo of him and Tony clumsily talking to each other than anything else, but it would only be one of the many and probably forgotten soon.

“You’ll never believe this, but they paired us up and I’m in a lab with Tony.” Steve said as casually as possible as Sam looked up from the drawing. He seemed genuinely curious.

“Really? What’s _that_ like?” Sam smirked. He placed Steve’s drawing to the side as he got up from the table to grab a beer from the fridge.

Steve grinned. “It’s not so bad, actually. I thought he would be a complete jerk, but he’s more overly confident than anything else.”

Steve had also learned during the tour that Tony was a recent adoptive parent, which came as the biggest shock of the day. He overheard Bruce asking Tony about someone named “Peter”. Steve had figured it was either a colleague or another friend of theirs, but Tony answered by mentioning Peter’s aunt and his middle school art class. Natasha then had the decency to whisper to Steve that Peter was Tony’s adopted son.

“He has a son—well, he’s adopted, but it’s the same nevertheless.” Steve coolly explained to Sam as his friend only nodded back as he took a sip of beer.

“Oh, I wouldn’t have expected that. That’s cool though.” Sam reached into the fridge to retrieve a beer for Steve who begrudgingly accepted it. He had promised his friend and he needed to follow through. Besides, he suddenly felt like celebrating anyway.

Steve waited before tasting the beer. “Yeah, he’s nine. And he likes art apparently.”

Sam nodded as he drank from his bottle. “Hey, there’s your in, Cap. You should offer art lessons since you’re an artist.”

Steve shrugged. He wouldn’t necessarily call himself an “artist”, although he sketched frequently and recently got into painting.

“I’m not really an artist.” Steve knew the statement was ridiculously false, but he was also human, too. Who doesn’t fish for comments occasionally?

Sam laughed. “Yeah, okay, Steve.” He chugged the rest of his beer before tossing the bottle toward their recycling bin. It bounced off the edge. Sam groaned as he walked over to pick up his discarded bottle.

“Let’s get out of here, Cap. We’re due to try out that new place down the street.” Sam made a shooing motion toward Steve to get him to hurry up. Steve complied as he shook his head but then effortlessly drained his beer before tossing the bottle into the bin, which landed perfectly in the middle. Steve shrugged when Sam groaned again.

“How do you manage to make everything look so easy? What are you, superhuman?”

“No. I just have better aim.” Steve nudged his friend with a lively jab as they grabbed their jackets before leaving the apartment.

* * *

Steve ended up having a better night out than he had expected, although he finally felt exhaustion hit him a couple hours later.

They stayed out for a few hours before returning home. Steve had his phone on silent the entire evening and hadn’t glanced at it. He remembered, as soon as he said goodnight to Sam and entered his bedroom, that he was supposed to call Bucky and update him about his day. He figured he could do so first thing in the morning before going into the lab.

As soon as Steve slipped into his bed, he checked his phone to see if Bucky had called. After a string of messages from a couple friends wishing him well and one from Bucky admonishing him for not picking up his phone, was a message from Tony, sent a few minutes ago.

**Tony:** Hey, Rogers. Meet me in the lab at 8am tomorrow. Looking forward to our first day.

Steve smiled. He appreciated the kind message along with a note of expected arrival. He sat up to type back a reply.

**Steve:** Sounds good! Looking forward to it also.

As he closed his eyes, he thought about Project Synergy, the team, and working with Tony Stark. Steve had heard stories about Tony, but the man he met today didn’t appear all that horrible. Besides a few snide comments and moments of awkward staring, Tony seemed like someone Steve could grow to respect. He had worked with difficult people before and this wouldn’t be any different.

* * *

“You know what’s great about the device? Its super lightweight, yet durable. That’ll be great once we’re on the ground, don’t you think, Tony?”

Bruce was eating dinner with Tony and Peter in the outsized kitchen in Tony’s penthouse housed in Stark Tower. Peter and Tony usually ate whatever the hired chef prepared for them, but Bruce had offered to make something for them, which Tony was grateful for. It was good for Peter to socialize with the people Tony respected the most. There was no way Peter would grow up isolated like he had.

“Tony said I can look at it when it’s stable.” Peter chimed in, slightly stumbling over the word “stable”. He was bouncing in his chair as he listened to Bruce explain the project. Bruce was really trying to have a conversation with Tony, but his friend’s attention was occupied elsewhere; Tony was holding his phone underneath the table while facing slightly away from Peter and Bruce.

**Tony:** Hey, Steve. Great first day, right? I’m looking forward to working with you. Meet me in the lab at 8am tomorrow. Hope you have a good night.

Tony scrunched up his face at the draft text message. Maybe it sounded a little too casual? Maybe a little too desperate? Had he even called him Steve to his face? Why was he wishing him a good night?

“I suppose we could make that happen. But first we’ll have to test its magical properties.” Bruce responded to Peter, wiggling his fingers in the air.

Peter nearly fell out of his chair. “It’s _magical_?” He asked incredulously, squinting at Bruce.

Bruce held a finger to his lips, nodding toward Tony to get Peter to play along with him. The nine-year old quickly caught on.

“Oh yeah sure. But we need Tony to negotiate with the blond wizard first.” Bruce added, now glaring at Tony who was still not paying attention to the conversation.

**Tony:** Hey, Rogers. Be in the lab at 8am. Thanks.

_No, that’s too impersonal. _Tony thought to himself.

He was just sending a message to his lab mate, not courting a potential date, or laying down the law. Would Steve even receive his message? Tony wished he had gotten a look at his lab mate’s phone.

_He probably uses a brick phone._

“What does the wizard look like?” Peter continued with the ruse.

Bruce sat back in his chair. He pretended to ponder by crossing one arm against his chest and resting the other on top to stroke his chin. “Well, I already said he’s blonde, but he’s tall and _very _handsome. Right, Tony?”

Tony grunted a non-committal reply.

**Tony:** Look, Steve. I’m just going to cut to the chase. You’re hot. I’m hot. Let’s do this.

Tony chuckled to himself. Of course, he wasn’t going to send such a direct non sequitur that basically constituted sexual harassment. Although, now he couldn’t stop thinking about how hot Steve was.

This time Bruce raised his voice in an annoyingly higher pitch that prompted giggling from Peter.

“Too bad Tony’s out of practice though. He’ll probably mess everything up.”

Tony perked up. He finally realized that Bruce and Peter were staring at him while he was drafting messages to Steve on his phone.

_Shit. _“Sorry. I…what are we talking about?” Tony tried to recover. He swiped to delete the last draft before shoving his phone into his pocket.

Bruce shook his head as Peter continued to giggle. “Tony, we’ve been trying to have a conversation with you this entire time, but you’re too busy playing with your phone.”

“I wasn’t playing with my phone. Important Stark Industries business, mind you.” Tony shoveled some food into his mouth to avoid talking any further.

Bruce chuckled. “So, what do you think of Steve, Tony?” Tony knew Bruce had picked up on his interest in their newest team member early on that day, especially when Tony was trying to talk to Steve as casually as possible, yet he sounded strangely inept at the same time. Bruce had also caught Tony staring at Steve once or twice.

_I bet Rhodey had also mentioned something too, that damn traitor._

Tony scoffed. “I don’t know, Bruce. When are you going to ask Natasha out on a proper date?” He sneered as soon as Bruce turned red from the comment.

“Natasha is super nice!” Peter exclaimed.

Tony pointed his thumb toward Peter as he smirked at Bruce. “See? Out of the mouths of babes.”

Bruce’s face got even redder. Tony knew he should probably lay off his friend, but he was trying to deflect attention away from himself.

It had been painfully obvious from the time the two had first met each other that both Natasha and Bruce were attracted to one another. Yet, neither one admitted it. Tony, with the help of Rhodey from time to time, would tease Bruce about it, but would also try to give him advice. Tony appreciated how cautious his friend was; he wished he could exercise the same judgement when it came to relationships.

“Really, Tony? That’s really no one’s business.” Bruce returned to eating. Tony sensed Bruce’s anxiety and decided to give him a break.

Tony laughed as he clapped his friend gently on the back. “Aw, come on. You can do us all a favor and just ask her out. I can’t stand watching you two avoid speaking to one another in front of us any longer.” He made a cartoonish face of disgust in Peter’s direction which incited delightful laughter from the nine-year old.

Bruce sighed in between bites. “She’s not interested. Trust me.” He mumbled as he sank lower into his chair.

Tony scrunched up his face. “Yeah, okay, dude.” He looked over at Peter again before returning to his food.

“What do you think?” He asked, giving the nine-year-old a quick nod and a sly grin.

“Bruce should ask her.” Peter beamed at Bruce, who only shielded his face with his hand. Tony laughed hysterically.

Tony was so thankful that the conversation easily lent toward Bruce and his relationship problems instead of his own. He thought about texting Steve as he continued to tease Bruce. He should try for a laid-back, yet professional tone. Steve seemed like the type who would appreciate that.

“You know, the nice thing about this device is that it’s durable, but lightweight.” Tony quickly changed the subject as Bruce sank even lower in his chair.

Bruce sighed. “I was just saying that, Tony. Now I know for sure you’re stealing my ideas.”

Tony laughed. “I’m not the one we should be worried about.” It started out lighthearted but ended on a sour note as Tony thought about what Obadiah was capable of in possibly sabotaging Project Synergy.

“We won’t let that happen, Tony.” Bruce looked Tony squarely in the eye. “We already have a failsafe in place.”

Tony appreciated the reminder, but it still bothered him that there was a possibility.

“Hopefully it won’t come to that.”

* * *

Later that evening, after putting Peter to bed and wishing Bruce a good night, Tony strolled to the master bedroom.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., lights.” He called.

The lights flicked on as Tony broke out into a run that ended with him launching his body to land on top of the bed. He settled, sprawled out like a starfish, kicking his loafers off by flicking them across the room. He closed his eyes as he remained as still as possible. He thought about Pepper and how lonely he felt, which elicited a distressing moan as he turned over to face the ceiling.

“Sir, your readings appear to show that you are fatigued. Would you like for me to turn the lights off now?” J.A.R.V.I.S. asked.

“Sure, why the fuck not.” Tony mumbled through his despair.

As the lights in the bedroom dimmed, Tony stared at the ceiling thinking about the inevitability of dying alone before he remembered he needed to text Steve about tomorrow. He fished out his phone from his pants and stared at Steve’s contact profile for a second or two.

What was so nerve racking about texting Steve? Sure, Tony had come to terms with the fact that he thought his new lab partner was super sexy, but he had never been this awkward around anyone before. The only people who made him feel small and marginal were his dad and Obie, and he guessed now Pepper. But those were for personal reasons, not that he didn’t possess even a modicum of _savoir faire_.

Tony tapped on his phone a few times, reworking the message until he finally settled on one that wasn’t impersonal but conveyed professionalism. Well, he thought so anyway.

**Tony:** Hey, Rogers. Meet me in the lab at 8am tomorrow. Looking forward to our first day.

Tony stared at the message before pressing send. He quickly turned his phone over on top his bedside table to avoid waiting for a reply. He resumed looking up at the ceiling, drumming his fingers on his chest as he tried to fall sleep, but the anticipation was killing him. He looked over at the phone before quickly turning it back over to see if Steve had responded.

**Steve:** Sounds good! Looking forward to it also.

Tony’s eyes lit up. Sure, Steve was probably just being nice, but it was a cute little reply to ruminate on as Tony drifted off to sleep thinking about Steve instead of dying alone.


	5. Chapter 5

The employee express elevator whizzed up Stark Tower to the main Synergy labs located on the seventieth floor. Steve slightly bounced from side to side as the elevator carried him up the building. He could feel his nerves starting to get the best of him again, but he was used to calming himself when the moment called for it.

Earlier that morning, Steve hadn’t felt anxious about his first day, but as the elevator zoomed past each floor in the tower, Steve felt his heart beat even louder. He exhaled deeply as the elevator arrived at his destination. He stepped out, looking each way down a long corridor. He took another deep breath; the moment had finally arrived.

He remembered that Tony’s lab was on the eastern side of the tower and headed in that direction. His nervousness dissipated as he imperceptibly continued breathing deeply. He knew by the time he reached the lab’s glass doors he would be at his A-game. Why many of the labs had glass faces was beyond Steve, but he didn’t know too much about lab design, so maybe it served a purpose.

He walked past one of the Synergy labs and peered inside. There, he saw Natasha and Clint talking to one another, both holding a cup of coffee. They waved at him before continuing their conversation. Steve waved back and pressed on toward his own lab—or Tony’s lab.

_I guess it’s also my lab. _Steve thought to himself.

Before reaching his lab, however, a shadowy thin figure moving around in one of the labs with frosted glass captured his peripheral vision. Steve stopped for a second to see what was going on; something about the figure made him feel uneasy. He stood still for a second or two longer before deciding that whatever the figure was up to wasn’t any of his concern, so he continued onward toward his lab.

When he finally reached the glass doors, Steve spotted Tony inside whose back was facing the entrance. His lab partner was standing with his arms crossed. He was wearing clothes similar to the clothes he wore yesterday, but this time he was also sporting a pair of headphones. Tony’s head was bobbing up and down to the tune filtering through his ears. As Steve inched closer toward the glass façade, he could hear dull thumping from the base on Led Zepplin’s “Kashmir” percolating through the material.

Steve stopped short from entering to watch Tony work. He looked down at his wristwatch. It was 7:30am. He wondered how long Tony had been working in the lab.

_I wonder what Tony’s like when he’s working by himself. _Steve took note of how engaged Tony appeared as his lab partner studied whatever was in front of him.

Suddenly a loud thud nearly caused Steve to jump out of his shoes. He inched closer toward the glass, gazing through to see what had made that horrible noise.

Steve watched Tony run over to a console, which was spewing a cloud of smoke. He gasped as Tony then sprinted to the other side of the lab, grab a fire extinguisher and put out a tiny fire that was near the console. Steve’s eyes widened as Tony slumped down to the floor in front of the console, freeing himself from his headphones before tossing them to the side. He pulled out a notepad but before he could scribble anything down there was another loud pop. Tony jumped up to retrieve the fire extinguisher again. He rushed over to put out a fire at the same console. However, this time he looked pleased with himself as he whipped out his notepad again and jotted down some notes.

Steve stood paralyzed with horror as the whole scene unfolded before him. Should he wait to go in? Where would he wait? Should he make sure Tony didn’t accidentally kill himself? But before Steve could gather himself, he heard a couple knocks on the glass. It was Tony.

“Rogers. Are you going to stand out there all day? We got work to do.” The glass muffled Tony’s voice, but Steve stood at attention once he realized that Tony had spotted him watching him work. He heard Tony laugh lightheartedly as Steve stood rigid; Steve was still too flabbergasted by what he had just witnessed.

“For some reason, I _knew_ you would get here early.” Grinning, Tony opened the glass door for Steve, who tried mustering up a casual nod as he entered the lab.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., lower the volume, please.” Tony waited before closing the door as the volume of the music lowered.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought maybe I would look through some of the legal documents in the lab before you arrived.” Steve avoided eye contact with Tony as he walked into the lab. He hesitated before going any further near where Tony had put out the fires. He had been in dangerous situations before, but he had hoped to avoid accidents on his first working day at Stark Industries.

Steve walked over to the table Tony had assigned to him yesterday. He pulled out his sketchbook and notepad.

“Oh, yeah. First day jitters are a bitch.” Tony added as he walked back over to the console that had been on fire.

Steve grimaced. It wasn’t as if he were completely opposed to swearing, although he never really did himself, but he figured since this was a professional environment, professionalism reigned supreme. He quickly learned that that wasn’t the case with Tony Stark.

Steve heard Tony clap his hands. “So, are you ready to test this device?”

“I don’t think no is an option.” Steve answered in a cool, yet serious tone. He turned around to face Tony.

Tony grinned. Something about it was alarmingly charming. Well, more like arrestingly captivating, to say the least.

“You know, I can already tell I’m going to enjoy working with you.” Tony offered as he crossed his arms. He stared at Steve for a second longer before spinning around to face the console.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., show us the specs to the Synergy device—one of my best friends is in the military. Your mannerisms remind me of him, Rogers.” Tony explained as the specs to the device appeared above the console. To Steve it sounded as if there was a hint of tentativeness in Tony’s statement.

Steve took his time approaching the console near Tony. It perplexed him to hear Tony talk about something personal considering how he had reacted when Steve asked him about Howard Stark yesterday. But Steve figured it was more a comment reflecting Tony’s efforts in trying to ease him into their working relationship than anything else.

“Uh, my closest friends are also in the military.” Steve awkwardly volunteered. “Or one of them still is.”

Steve could see Tony watching him from out of the corner of his eye. He thought maybe that was too personal to begin with, but he could see that Tony was smiling.

“Let’s start with handling the vibranium, shall we?” Tony effortlessly shifted the tone in the conversation as he pulled up the specs of both the vibranium core and the Synergy device. Steve intently scrutinized the holographic images.

“I discussed this with Bruce last night. He thinks it’s probably best to test the limits on how much vibranium the device can handle beyond the already established quantity.” Tony flipped through some numbers on the image before turning slightly toward Steve.

“What do you think?” He asked quietly. Steve was sure he almost didn’t hear him.

Steve studied the numbers for a second before attempting an educated guess. He knew ever since he was brought on the team that he would have to work on the tech side of the project beyond sifting through the legal documents. However, he had never expected being consulted like this, especially by Tony.

“I think that’s a fair assessment—and I don’t want to pretend to know more than Dr. Banner—but could we run a program on the console first? You know, like an algorithm?” Steve swiped the numbers away to enlarge the image of the vibranium core. He spun it around a few times, amazed with himself that he had picked up maneuvering the controls so easily.

Tony made a pleasant-sounding noise of approval. “Good idea, Rogers. Let’s avoid any unnecessary danger while we’re at it.”

Steve’s mouth almost fell open. Wasn’t what he had just witnessed not too long-ago unnecessary danger?

_I’m never going to get used to this. _Steve thought as he watched Tony punch in some numbers on the screen to create the procedure, humming to himself quietly.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., try running these numbers for us and we’ll see what we get.”

“Right away, Sir.”

After waiting a second to let J.A.R.V.I.S. create a sequence, Tony walked Steve through the algorithm. Steve did his best to comprehend as much as possible, jotting down every word that sounded unfamiliar to him so he could study it later. At points Tony slowed down to explain something further which Steve appreciated. After a while, however, he could tell that his lab mate was getting a little antsy about having to move so slowly, yet Tony remained mostly calm.

They spent about a few hours on the process. Steve took notes as Tony worked at the console. It didn’t take much for them to find a sold rhythm; in fact, it surprised Steve that they were already working so well together.

After another hour, Steve and Tony paused for a break. They stood chatting in the lab for a couple minutes before they were interrupted by Clint, Natasha, and Thor.

“So, I’m thinking later today we could show Bruce the algorithm to see if he has any—”

“You guys on break already?” Clint barged into the lab as he interrupted Tony. Thor came in right after him as Natasha took her time entering. She looked over at Steve and smiled. Steve turned a shade of pink almost immediately.

“Barton. Please. You’re interrupting important business.” Tony sighed as he put his hands on his hips. Clint huffed instead of verbally responding as he walked over to one of the consoles.

“Hey. This looks like fire damage. You should get this replaced, Stark.” He pointed out.

Thor walked over to Tony and clapped his shoulder with such a force it nearly toppled him over. Tony flinched as he rubbed the area after pulling away, but the move proved futile as Thor clapped him on the shoulder again, pulling him in close toward his body for a weird half hug.

“The first day of work is always the most memorable. I believe we are on the verge of something great!” Thor exclaimed loudly, tightly holding on to Tony.

After finally breaking away from Thor, Tony rotated his shoulder a few times. “Of course, we are, Gandalf the _Shrill_. What do you think we’ve been doing this whole time?”

Steve perched himself against his table and observed the interactions amongst his teammates. They were proving to be an interesting group, but in a cute way.

“How’s your first day?” Steve sensed Natasha standing next to him. She leaned up against the table beside him.

Although she seemed cold at first in the conference room, Natasha now emanated a kindness to her that Steve appreciated.

“I think it’s all right so far.” He answered.

Natasha chuckled. “How’s your first day _with_ Tony Stark, I mean.” She was leaning in close enough for the others not to hear.

Steve turned pink again. He wasn’t sure how to respond, especially with Tony standing not too far away.

He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s interesting. I can tell you that.”

Natasha grinned. “I guess Fury made the right choice pairing you two up.” She smiled as she leaned further onto the table.

Fury changing the teams so suddenly was something Steve had wondered about but didn’t give much consideration until Natasha mentioned it. Maybe Fury had figured that their opposing personalities would work better together? It was either that or they would end up killing each other.

_Which I’m hoping doesn’t come to_. Steve wished.

“Yo, Romanov. Rogers. You wanna grab drinks after work?” Clint had his hands up against his mouth to project his voice. Steve looked over at Natasha who was nodding.

Steve mimicked the nod as he glanced over at Tony who was busying himself with something on the console while still rotating his shoulder. Steve walked over to join him.

“Here’s a valuable piece of advice. Don’t let Thor touch you in _any _capacity.” Tony quickly glanced over at Steve, who grinned back.

“…well, actually you might be fine,” Tony cleared his throat, “…because you know…your build.” There again was that hint of hesitancy in Tony’s voice as he finished his statement, but Steve brushed it off.

“We’ll see you guys later, right?” Clint shouted as he left the lab with Natasha and Thor.

“Yes, we should properly welcome our new team member!” Thor shouted even louder behind him.

Tony waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah sure. Now get back to work.” Steve watched the three leave before turning to face an image of the Synergy device Tony was playing around with.

“Hope you don’t mind. You might lose your mind if you only get to know me…well, you might anyway.” Tony grinned as he zoomed into a section of the device.

Steve smiled. “No, yeah. I’m looking forward to it.”

Suddenly, Tony leaned sideways across Steve to grab a tablet from another nearby console, but in doing so, he brushed slightly against Steve’s hand. Steve didn’t physically react, of course, but the act felt more intimate than an accident. Or maybe he was reading into it too much.

Tony scrolled through some data on the tablet, seemingly unaware that he had grazed Steve’s hand. Steve waited patiently for him to speak.

“I think we have the algorithm functioning more or less how we want it. We should be able to create scenarios out of this, also.” Tony turned to face Steve and smiled. “Good job, Rogers. This is great work.”

Steve almost blushed. There was something about Tony’s smile that felt inviting.

“Thanks, Tony.” He smiled back; almost sure he wasn’t blushing.

* * *

_That evening…_

Tony sipped gingerly out of his cocktail. He was perched against the bar counter with one elbow rested on the surface. Bruce had been rambling on and on about the algorithm, but Tony was barely paying attention; he was too busy watching Steve talk to Thor and Clint.

“You know, Tony. I’m going to have to reevaluate our friendship if you keep ignoring me.” Bruce turned to face Tony directly, but Tony was too involved in ogling at Steve to really notice. He grunted a non-committal reply.

Clint had suggested that the team meet for drinks at a cocktail bar that was a few blocks down the street from Stark Tower. Ever since entering the bar, Tony had been trying to figure out the best way to approach Steve and talk nonchalantly like he was typically prone to, but for some reason had forgotten how.

Back in the lab, it seemed as if they were getting along nicely, but Tony was sure it only had something to do with Steve’s solid professionalism. He wondered what it would be like to see Steve let loose once in a while.

“Why don’t you stop being weird and just go over there?” Tony blinked a few times as Bruce stepped in front of him to obstruct his view of Steve.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Banner.” Tony spun around to face the bar counter. He felt Bruce settle next to him. Tony blushed, having been caught once again staring at Steve while also remembering that he had accidentally grazed his lab mate's hand, which felt nice, to say the least.

* * *

_Meanwhile on the other side of the cocktail bar…_

“So how was your first day?” Clint inquired as Steve took a sip out of his beer. He was standing with Clint and Thor on the opposite end of the cocktail bar from where he could see Tony talking to Bruce at the bar counter.

Steve shrugged. “A lot to take in, but great nonetheless.”

Clint smirked as Steve watched him lock eyes with Thor. Both grinned widely.

“I mean, how was your first day _with_ Stark?” Clint clarified with a smirk.

“You know, Natasha asked me the same thing.” Steve peered at the two as he took another sip out of his beer. He wondered if he should be worried that everyone kept asking him about Tony.

“Great minds think alike!” Clint nearly exclaimed before chugging a third of his beer.

“Of all of the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with, Tony Stark is perhaps the most fascinating.” Thor offered.

Steve nodded. “That’s definitely true for me as well.”

Clint slapped Steve on the back, but not too hard. “You’re going to fit in nicely, Rogers. I can tell Nat and Fury like you and they don’t like anyone.”

“Well I’m only doing my best.” But Steve appreciated the insight. Although he tried to train himself not to bristle at criticism from others, he did value knowing he wasn’t on anyone’s bad side.

* * *

“Be honest with me, Bruce. What do you really think of the algorithm?” Tony asked, adamant about changing the subject.

He could sense Bruce was unwilling to give up on the whole Steve thing, especially since Tony gave him such a hard time about Natasha last night.

“I think it’s a great idea. We could simulate a few scenarios in the lab before going out into the field.” Tony nearly let out a sigh of relief. He was sure Bruce was going to give him shit about Steve.

“Who came up with the idea?” As soon as Bruce finished his question, Tony nearly choked on his drink, spilling some of the cocktail on his shirt. Bruce made a noise as he hopped out of the way.

Tony placed his half-empty drink on the bar counter. “Uh, Rogers did.”

Bruce looked at Tony then down at his lightly soaked shirt then back up at Tony. “Just go over there. Jesus.” He sighed before stalking over to opposite end of the counter to where Fury and Natasha were chatting.

“Hey! I don’t know what you’re—ugh…forget it.” Tony picked up a few napkins from the counter to dry his shirt. As he tried to make himself look more presentable before summoning up enough courage to speak to Steve in a casual setting, Tony felt someone place a hand on his shoulder.

“I wanted to tell you that I had a great first day before heading out.” Tony swallowed before he turned around to face Steve who was smiling. He had one hand in the front pocket of his slacks; he was leaning, looking incredibly attractive.

_Well, fuck._ Tony thought.

“Same here, Rogers. But you’re not winning any points leaving so soon.” Tony made sure to convey with a smile that he was only teasing, which seemed to work because Steve grinned back.

“I’m going to look through those legal documents before going to bed. Should I meet you in the lab the same time tomorrow?” Steve waved goodbye as he turned to leave.

“Yep. Same time tomorrow. Also, if you happen to arrive early, feel free to observe some of my other projects.” Tony grinned. He had noticed that Steve was watching him when he arrived that morning but didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, especially since he figured Steve hadn’t appreciated how reckless he was being. It was his lab and he could do what he wanted, but Tony also didn’t want to cause friction with his lab partner.

Steve cracked a slight smile as he slipped his hands into his pockets. “I guess someone needs to keep you safe.” He waved once more before turning to head toward the exit.

Tony was left staring dumbfounded as he watched Steve leave. Although the statement sounded innocent enough, something about it made this lonely Tony feel not so lonely in the moment. He smiled somewhat to himself before turning around to face the bar counter.

“I know it’s none of my business, but you got a real hot date there.” Tony looked up to see the bartender, who was polishing a glass, grinning at him. Tony huffed before leaning on his shoulder.

“We’re not…” Tony shuffled around to make sure Bruce nor anyone else wasn’t near him. “Well, he is hot and yes, it is none of your business.”

The bartender kept grinning as he put his hands up in retreat. Tony turned around and smiled.

_I guess someone needs to keep you safe…_Tony bit the bottom half of his lip as he thought about tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

It was finally later in the week and Tony was on his way to have dinner with Pepper.

The restaurant Pepper chose to have dinner seemed like a decent enough spot. It was an old Italian restaurant that wasn’t too far away from Stark Tower and not too crowded. Tony appreciated the gesture on Pepper’s part. Even though he was really only popular in the tech world, Tony would still get recognized on the street from time to time, mostly by tech bros emulating his style. Or trying to anyway.

Tony glanced around the restaurant as soon as he entered, spotting Pepper in the corner near the kitchen as soon as he removed his sunglasses. She noticed him at the same time, waving with a warm smile.

_I miss that smile_. Tony thought to himself as he tried to return the smile which ended up being a lot more difficult than he had expected.

He had a plan in case the conversation proved to be too awkward. Although reluctant to help Tony avoid his problems, Rhodey had agreed to call Tony and act as if there was an emergency in case things got dicey with Pepper. Mostly Tony wanted to avoid telling her that he loved and missed her terribly and possibly beg for her to come back to him.

Tony’s grin painfully widened as he approached the table. Pepper got up from her chair to hug him.

“Hi, Tony. It’s been so long since we’ve shared a meal.” She greeted as she pulled Tony into a hug. Tony nodded back as he reminded himself not to do something weird like smell her hair or feel up her backside during the hug.

Pepper hugged him tightly before sitting back down at the table. Tony slowly pulled his chair out before joining her. They sat in silence for moment until a waiter came up to their table to take their drink orders.

“So, how’s Peter?” Pepper asked as soon as they were alone again.

Tony shuffled a bit in his chair. He cleared his throat. “He’s doing great. He asks about you from time to time.” He steadied himself before taking a sip of water. Pepper nodded as she delicately placed her cloth napkin on top her lap.

“Yeah, I guess the way things ended must have been tough on him…” She acknowledged.

Tony stared at her. That was the understatement of the century.

He braced himself against the table before responding. “Pep, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure where things went wrong with us.” Tony gripped his glass again. If he had extraordinary powers of any sort, he definitely would have broken the glass.

Pepper sighed before responding. Tony could tell she was trying to figure out the best thing to say.

“Remember my last birthday party?” She asked quietly, leaning on the table with both elbows.

Tony scrunched up his face. He wasn’t sure where the conversation was headed.

“Uh, yeah. We had it had Chez Elle.” He answered, visibly confused by the question.

Pepper inhaled deeply as she shook her head. “No, Tony. That was for a company press conference. We had plans to go to Fratelli’s, but you forgot and scheduled that event instead.” Pepper’s voice never faltered; she gazed intently at Tony.

Tony was taken aback. He remembered that there had been some fiasco related to planning that day, but he had forgotten that it had something to do with Pepper’s birthday. Yet, that couldn’t have been the reason why Pepper left. But before he could say anything Pepper continued.

“What about that time I needed you to go with me to the west coast for that tech conference and you stayed out late with Happy and Rhodey the night before we were supposed to leave? You ended up missing the flight by an hour and I had to spend the weekend by myself because you decided to work in the lab rather than catch another flight.”

Tony’s mouth bobbed open as he attempted a reply.

Pepper pressed on. “Or the other times you forgot any holiday or any other birthday or an anniversary? Anytime I needed you to be somewhere important? Or the times I needed you to be serious, especially about the two of us, but you refused to be?”

Pepper stopped before continuing. Tony heard her take a deep breath. “…you were caring and attentive at first, Tony, but it became clear as our relationship progressed that…you didn’t love me the way that I loved you. In retrospect—from our third date, remember? You told me we would probably get married, but I don’t think you were ever serious…”

All Tony could do physically at this point was stare at Pepper, completely speechless. The words hit him hard, making him feel suddenly sick to the stomach. He would have excused himself if he weren’t afraid of ruining things further with Pepper. They both stared at each other for a moment or two longer as Tony tried to mentally connect the dots.

Sure, he had a habit of dropping the ball repeatedly when it came to relationships, and it was true that he had trouble when it came to commitment. He had believed, or at least told himself, that after his wild twenties and thirties he was finally becoming serious. Or maybe that was the point? Maybe his lack of self-awareness of how he was hurting Pepper was the reason why she finally called it quits. He did care for her, but Tony would have never stayed with someone like that if he were treated the same way.

Tony tried to respond, but his mind kept trying to reconstruct his behavior. He had been head-over-heels in love with Pepper as their friendship developed. A therapist he once saw told him that was a usual pattern he exhibited in relationships, but he thought he was over that with Pepper.

Pepper took another deep breath. “And, Tony. You never really discussed your relationship with your father with me. I know that it causes you stress to talk about it, but I don’t feel like you were ever really open with me…” Tony looked up to see Pepper looking downward across the table. Although her head was turned slightly, Tony could sense that his lack of vulnerability hurt her the most.

“I don’t know if it’s me or if you don’t want to talk about it, but I wanted to talk to you about it…when you were ready, of course…but I guess you never were…”

Tony inhaled as he closed his eyes to think. It was true; he never liked talking about his dad, especially with the people closest to him. He had also talked to a therapist about that in the past, yet, he never came to the realization that it was necessary to be open like that with the person he was seeing.

Tony hesitated before reaching across the table to take a hold of Pepper’s hand, which she accepted.

“I’m sorry, Pepper. I had no idea…” He said, his voice lowering with every syllable.

Pepper sniffled. She wiped her eye before smiling. “Tony, it’s okay. I’ve accepted that you weren’t comfortable discussing it with me.”

Pepper caressed the underside of Tony’s palm. He could feel his heart aching, but it was finally good to hear why Pepper had left, although it made him feel worse. He told himself to push through the pain in order to salvage whatever relationship he could have with Pepper in the future.

“I want to be friends with you, Tony. I miss you.” Pepper looked up at him, still smiling.

Tony inhaled sharply, which hurt more than he realized it would. Maybe it was true they weren’t right for each other, but Tony still had trouble accepting it. If he couldn’t make things work with Pepper, then who could he make it work with?

He knew he needed to get over it; he had been through breakups like this before and managed to survive. But now it felt like he would never find anyone. Maybe it would be better to just focus on Peter and work. Dating only brought him heartache. Yet, he couldn’t lose Pepper completely; she was one of his closest friends.

“I miss you too, Pepper…I want to be friends, too.” Tony answered, his voice a little shaky.

Tony swallowed the lump in his throat, but he knew, based on dealing with this in the past, it was best for his sanity to let go. He could feel that Pepper still cared about him and wanted to be in his life, but as he thought back on their relationship, he realized maybe he didn’t love her the way she loved him. His actions certainly suggested so.

They smiled at one another until their waiter appeared again to take their food orders. After ordering, both sat in complete silence until Tony spoke up.

“I-I was planning to take Peter to Central Park this weekend…would you like to join us for a picnic or something like that?” He offered meekly, although he still felt shaken up by their conversation.

Pepper nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, Tony. I would love that.”

Tony exhaled with relief. “Great.”

As the tension between the two loosened a little, they chatted a bit longer until their food arrived. Tony caught Pepper up on everything that had happened with him and Peter in the last year since their breakup. Eventually the conversation shifted to Project Synergy.

“So, how’s our team faring, Tony?” Pepper asked before taking a sip of wine.

Tony nodded before answering. “The team is fine. We rigged together an algorithm to test the device before taking it out in the field.”

Pepper smiled. “That sounds great. Bruce have anything to do with that?”

Tony chuckled; He noticed he was starting to become a little more comfortable around Pepper. “I like how it’s not a possibility that I had anything to do with it.” He teased before pausing. “Actually, Mr. Steve Rogers came up with the idea.”

“Really? I knew he was a quick learner, but that’s surprising for the first week. It’s good to know that he’s fitting in.”

Tony nodded. _I guess someone needs to keep you safe…_he thought back to that moment in the cocktail bar which quickly translated into a goofy smile, relieving any weird feeling he had about his serious conversation with Pepper.

Pepper picked up on it immediately. “What?”

Tony shook his head before returning to eating. “Nothing…it was just something Rogers said to me.”

Pepper nodded somewhat. Tony could feel her watching him. However, he looked up to see that she was wearing a caring smile.

“You know, Tony. You really _do_ deserve the best. Just take your time and talk things through when you can.”

Along with her own advice, Tony immediately recognized the words Rhodey had offered him a while back.

“Is everyone talking about me? Am I really that obvious?” He tried for a playful tone, but he was sure he also sounded a little irritate, especially after being reminded that he was terrible when it came to relationships.

Pepper laughed, but she was kind about it. “Rhodey might have mentioned something. We’re just looking out for you, Tony.”

Tony leaned backward in his chair as he considered the thought of his friends discussing his personal life behind his back. Was he upset by it? No, not really. Actually, it was kind of nice that his closest friends were looking out for him on a daily basis. He was only a little irritated with himself for being so obvious again.

“I am that obvious, aren’t I?” He finally admitted.

Pepper took a hold of his hand and lightly caressed it. “Tony, you’re just lively and expressive. Those are good traits.” She smiled.

Tony smiled back as he let her take his hand. He could feel her sincerity. “Okay, then. Now you gotta get Rhodey to force Bruce to discuss his personal life.” He joked, hoping it would mask how he felt on the inside.

Pepper laughed cheerfully. “You’re going to have to talk to him about that.”

* * *

_We found their car flipped over on an exit ramp. I’m sorry…but neither one survived…_

Tony’s body violently jerked him awake. He sat up panting, sweating, clenching his chest as if his heart would burst into a million little pieces at any moment. Reminding himself to inhale then exhale deeply, Tony looked over to other side of his bed, which was empty of course.

“Sir, your readings appear to show that you are under duress. Do you need medical attention?” J.A.R.V.I.S. asked him.

Tony tightly closed his eyes. “I’m fine.” He muttered.

He groaned as he leaned up against the headboard. Having this recurring nightmare was the worst when he was alone. He had his friends, but his friends weren’t around all the time and they also had other obligations. He had Peter, but it wasn’t the same.

Tony missed being with someone who cared for him deeply. He groaned once more as he banged his head up against the headboard. If only he could figure out how to function in a working relationship, maybe he could actually meet someone who would stay with him.

_…neither one survived…_

Tony slammed a pillow against his face and silently screamed. It had been a while since he had the nightmares. Maybe seeing Pepper had triggered them again.

Then he panicked.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., where’s Peter?” But before he let the computer locate the nine-year old, Tony jumped out of the bed and ran to Peter’s room. Once he reached the bedroom, he nudged open the door to peer inside. Peter was soundly asleep.

Tony closed the door before slumping down to the floor. He wasn’t sure if his nightmare had been about the night his parents died or the night he had learned about Peter’s. After a while, the details of the two nights had merged together. He could only imagine how Peter felt when he had learned about his parents’ deaths.

Tony lingered on the floor. He drew his knees up to his chest before pressing his forehead against them. There was no way he would be able to sleep tonight, so he might as well go down to the Synergy lab and work until the others got in.

He inhaled then exhaled deeply before rising and heading toward his bedroom.

* * *

_The next day…_

“Okay team. We’re trying out Rogers’s and Stark’s algorithm today.”

The team was standing in a suite Tony had created to test out simulations. Fury was above them on a landing, while they positioned themselves in arena-like area below, with Fury leaning against the railing to look downward at the team. Steve was standing near Tony, while everyone else, in their pairs, was huddled at the other end of the arena.

When he walked into the space, Steve could hardly believe his eyes. He had only really seen something like this on TV, like in a passing _Star Trek_ episode. He had no idea that Stark Industries had the technology to create actual simulations.

“First, we’ll have Barton and Romanov simulate locating the equations.” Fury pointed to Clint and Natasha. Clint waved as Natasha nodded sternly.

“The equations will then be sent to Rogers and Stark who will input the numbers into the Synergy device.” Fury nodded at Steve and Tony.

Steve looked back at Tony who barely seemed present. Steve had wondered if there was something going on; that morning Tony appeared hardly responsive and edgy. Steve had figured his lab partner was having a rough day and decided not to press it.

“Then, if all goes as plan, Dr. Blake and Dr. Banner will receive the specs to create the material. And today…” Fury looked down at some notes on a tablet he was holding, “…we’re trying for something simple. Let’s try a television remote.”

Clint chuckled, placing his hands on his hips. “That’s it? I thought we were saving the world?” Natasha nudged him in the arm, hard.

“Hey!” Clint acted like the nudge nearly set him off balance.

“We gotta start small before thinking big, Barton.” Fury coolly explained. Steve also thought it was a little ridiculous that they were replicating something so trivial, but he didn’t question the need for practice.

“Okay, everyone ready?” Fury looked side to side at the pairs. Everyone nodded, except Tony.

Fury tapped once on his tablet. “Commence simulation.”

The arena transformed into a two-story suburban house. Natasha and Clint appeared near the front door, while Steve could see Thor and Bruce standing in the kitchen. He looked around him to see that he and Tony were standing in the living room.

Natasha and Clint busied themselves, finding the broken remote they needed to replicate. On a tablet, Natasha punched in some numbers to create a code to send to Tony. To Steve, it felt like both a long and short while; he felt a little uneasy as he crouched down near the Synergy device.

“Okay, Stark. Sending the equations your way.” Natasha used the tablet to point toward Tony.

Steve turned slightly so he could see Tony out of the corner of his eye; he still looked on edge.

_I wonder what’s going on? _Steve thought, although he trusted that whatever was bothering Tony wouldn’t affect the simulation.

Tony coughed before scrolling through the equations on his tablet.

“Tell me when you’re ready, Tony.” Steve called. He hoped he didn’t sound demanding. Too bad, though, because whatever was irking Tony before was now a major source of irritation.

“Open brackets: delta, epsilon, sigma, aleph, closed brackets. Open brackets: 1456 divided by 356, beth, closed brackets.” Tony began rattling off the solutions to input into the device. Steve worked as quickly as possible; he was still learning which keys on the device created which functions.

“Open brackets: Ominus inverted, 56789 divided by 234, delta then another aleph, closed brackets.” Tony kept reading off figures, but Steve was having trouble catching up.

“Hey, Tony. Could you slow down for a second? I’m still trying to input the first set.” Steve fumbled as he tried to remember the last figure from the first set.

“Rogers. There’s no time. You need to move quickly.” Tony’s voice sounded gruff and harsh. He sounded like he had earlier in the morning, but now there was no doubt to the tone in his voice.

Steve took a deep breath and pushed forward as best as he could. There was no use in trying to argue back.

“Open brackets: Six, nine, hundred, delta, epsilon, seventy-eight, hundred, closed brackets.” Tony was relentless. Steve fumbled as he punched in the code from the second set. He had never felt so nervous in his entire life, which included serving in the military. He wished they had practice learning the keys on the device first before trying it out in the simulation.

“Tony, slow down. I’m still working on the second set.” He nearly raised his voice from frustration.

Steve rarely lost his cool, but the environment and Tony’s behavior was bugging the crap out of him.

“Listen, Rogers. If you can’t do it, then get out of the way.” Steve felt Tony crouch down near him, but he didn’t move.

“Tony, I have it. Just slow down. It’s just a simulation.” Steve countered.

“There’s no slowing down in the real world, Rogers.” Tony was now hovering in his space, trying to take over control of the device. He nearly shoved Steve to the side.

“Tony, I told you. I have it. Just read the figures.” At this point, Steve and Tony were elbowing the other out of the way of the device. The bickering between the two began to bother the rest of the team.

“Jesus, Stark. Just let him finish.” Clint called over.

“Boys, it’s just a simulation.” Natasha added.

“All of this over a little remote, remarkable.” Thor wondered.

“I don’t think the last set was correct, Tony.” Bruce unhelpfully questioned.

“I know what I’m doing, Banner.” Tony barked. Steve could feel Tony struggling against his side to move him out of the way, but he was now mostly holding against Tony to keep him in place.

“Rogers. Just let me do it.”

“Tony, I _said_ I got it.” Steve continued to input the last set which was, of course, correct. Tony stopped struggling as the device began generating specs for the remote replication. Steve heard his lab partner scoff before standing up straight. Tony then flung the tablet he was holding onto one of the simulated couches.

“See. I told you I knew what I was doing,” Tony straightened out his shirt, “and I couldn’t secure a proper foothold, Rogers.” He added the snide comment before storming out of the arena, referring to Steve using his body weight to keep Tony from knocking him over. The living room scene pixeled as he exited the program.

“End simulation.” Fury called as he reappeared above the team, hanging his head as the house disappeared. The tablet Tony had thrown onto the simulated couch dropped to the metallic arena floor with a loud clack.

“What the hell? Why does he always do this?” Clint folded his arms.

Steve didn’t wait to find out what the others thought. He promptly marched out of the space before anyone could stop him.

_This guy! I can’t believe his attitude! _Steve was fuming. He knew working with Tony would be challenging, but that was just ridiculous. There was no need to get so upset over something so insignificant.

Steve marched down the corridor until he reached Tony’s lab. He could see Tony standing near one of the consoles with his hands on his hips and his head hanging low. Steve waited before barging in. He could either cause further friction with his lab mate or let it go. He knew something had been bothering him, but it also wasn’t right for Tony to lose his cool.

Steve thought for a moment. He sighed as he settled on giving Tony the benefit of the doubt. However, Steve now understood what everyone seemed to be referring to when discussing working with Tony; the man was impulsive and insistent. He took another deep breath before entering the lab.

“…how…did the specs turn out?” Tony still had his back toward Steve as he entered. His voice sounded stressed.

Steve furrowed his brow. “I don’t know. Fury ended the simulation after you left.”

Steve watch Tony slowly rock back and forth on his heels. Steve could hear him breathing deeply as if he were doing breathing exercises.

“I suppose we’ll need to go back in. We’ll practice creating the functions with the keys before the next simulation.” Tony kept his hands on his hips before turning around slowly to face Steve. Steve couldn’t help but stare intently at Tony; his change in tone was a little unnerving. Was this his attempt at apologizing?

“Okay.” Was all Steve could muster.

They stood silently in the lab for a moment longer before Tony walked up to a console and pulled up some equations. He pointed toward a table across the way.

“Hand me that tablet.” He asked softly.

Steve barely nodded as he grabbed the tablet before handing it to Tony. He watched his lab mate scroll through some more equations on the console, before holding the tablet an inch or so above it for a few seconds. Tony then handed him the tablet.

“I should have given these to you this morning before going in, but I was…distracted…” He never looked up at Steve as he handed him the tablet.

Steve turned the tablet around to see instructions for inputting figures into the Synergy device.

“Uh…thanks.” Steve clenched the tablet before walking over to his side of the lab.

The two men avoided each other the rest of the day. It was extremely awkward, but Steve figured it was probably best to prevent any more outbursts.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony yawned as he scrolled through the data on his tablet. It had been a few days since their first simulation run through and he had barely slept. Actually, to be honest, Tony was too terrified to drift off to sleep; the painful memories associated with his recurring nightmare were too much to bear. And now all that anxiety had spilled back over into to his professional, and possibly dating life.

_Just when I thought I had my shit together…_Tony groaned to himself as the memory of his antics during the first simulation popped into his head.

He had forgotten to give Steve the instructions for inputting data into the Synergy device before going in. Through an exhausted state, Tony thought that he had given them to Steve the day before. Still, it was no accuse for practically trying to push his lab mate out of the way because he had lost his patience. He hoped maybe he could smooth things over with Steve; Steve was a diehard professional and would probably keep working even in the most dire of situations.

Still, any shot Tony had in even thinking about asking Steve out had probably been blown with that failed first simulation.

_Oh well, what should I expect? Typical Tony. _

“Morning, Tony.” Tony stopped scrolling through his thoughts as Steve’s cool voice interrupted. Tony turned his head to some degree to acknowledge his lab mate who had walked directly toward a console upon entering the lab.

“I gotta say, I’m impressed with your punctuality, Rogers.” Tony attempted with a lazy smile. Steve only nodded but didn’t say a word as he began studying some data from the other day.

It had been like this for the last few days. Whatever tension that had settled between them before had returned and Tony feared it was getting worse.

Tony watched Steve work out of the corner of his eye. His lab partner, although probably focused on his work, acted as if he was the only person in the lab. Ever since that simulation, Steve would only speak to Tony on a need-to basis.

Tony inhaled sharply as he continued working, hoping he would eventually find a way to get back to at least working smoothly with Steve like they had when they created the algorithm together. But before he could really think of anything productive, his phone rang loudly, playing the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” on the loudest volume possible.

Tony winced as he fumbled, trying to fish his phone out of his pocket to see that Rhodey was calling him. He glanced shyly over at Steve before sprinting out of the lab to answer the call.

“Hey, Rhodey—Is Peter all right?” Tony nearly dropped his phone, believing the worst.

Usually whenever Rhodey was in town, he would take turns with Peter’s aunt in watching Peter when the nine-year old wasn’t busy with school or any extracurricular activities. Although Tony really appreciated the commitment his friends put in to helping him raise Peter, he noticed that sometimes he would venture into helicopter-parent territory if he hadn’t received an update in a while. The feeling had grown significantly worse after the reappearance of his nightmare. It wasn’t as if he didn’t trust his friends, quite the contrary; he just didn’t know what he would do if he ever lost Peter. His own life was chaotic, but at least he could start over with Peter.

Rhodey chuckled on the other end of the receiver. “Yeah, he’s fine, Tone. You wanted me to call you when we got to the museum. So, I’m calling to let you know that we have _successfully_ made it to the museum.”

Tony took a deep breath, realizing that he might have made a bigger deal about the museum visit than he should have earlier that morning.

“Thanks, Rhodey.”

“You know, Tony. You should really relax. I’m better with kids than you think.” Tony appreciated Rhodey’s levity, but he could also feel his chest constricting with panic.

“Maybe I’ll eat lunch with you two when you get back.” Tony offered, trying to sound as calm as possible.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll send you a text when we get in.” Tony said goodbye to Rhodey before hanging up. He took another deep breath, trying to remember his breathing exercises from one of his therapy sessions before turning around to reenter the lab. Steve was still busying himself at his console.

“Everything all right?” Steve asked quietly as Tony approached another console.

Tony nearly blinked with disbelief; He never expected Steve to give a shit about anything going on with him after the first simulation debacle. Or maybe his lab mate thought it was work-related?

_Or maybe he’s just being nice. _Tony reminded himself.

“Uh, yes. That was just…a friend of mine is in charge of my kid today and he was just updating me on their whereabouts…” Tony explained, stumbling.

Steve nodded. He stopped working for a moment to acknowledge Tony. “I’ve never been a parent, but I’m sure it’s tough. Nice to have people around to help, though.”

Tony nodded as he looked back at Steve. Even though the statement appeared innocent enough, Tony couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by it considering that every single stress in his life was coming to a head nowadays, including worrying that he might have pissed off Steve beyond repair.

“It is nice.” Tony lingered before turning to face his console. They continued working until Fury called the team in for another run at the simulation.

* * *

_Later in the evening…_

“No, he hasn’t apologized yet.”

Steve was standing in line with Sam, waiting to buy tickets to see a movie they had both been dying to see. Both friends had been too busy to see it when it came out opening weekend, so Sam made definite, non-negotiable plans with Steve that week, calling for an emergency “Tête-Bro-Tête”: Sam’s nickname for their solo outings that Steve wasn’t particularly fond of. Well, actually he didn’t mind it; _actually_, he liked it a lot but would never admit so to Sam.

“What an asshole. I can’t believe no one called him on it.” Sam shook his head back and forth with disgust.

Steve sighed. “I’m not going to press it…” Steve waited as he wondered if he should continue, “…it sounds like Tony’s got a lot going on.”

Sam paid for the tickets. He handed one to Steve as they entered the building and headed toward concessions.

“Steve, seriously? Please don’t do that weird thing you do.”

“What do I do that’s weird?”

“Giving _everyone_ the benefit of the doubt. He was way out of line.” The two paid for their snacks before entering the theater. They sat down somewhere in the middle.

“Okay, that might be something that I do, but I rather not cause friction between the two of us. I’ll be the bigger person.”

Sam snorted. “You do that a lot also.”

Steve considered his friend’s claim. He supposed that was also true, but he didn’t feel like getting into it.

After the first failed simulation, Steve wanted nothing more than to make sure the team worked together, and not against each other. They would be up against a lot in the future when they take the Synergy device out into the field and they couldn’t afford any bickering.

Besides Steve had sensed the same change in Tony’s demeanor when he talked about his son that resembled his discomfort whenever Howard Stark was mentioned. Steve put the pieces together and figured that Tony’s father must have been a major source of stress for him and that he was possibly struggling himself with parenting.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

“Tony. I’m worried about you.”

Bruce was standing near Tony as the latter tinkered with the Synergy device at a table. They were both in Tony’s lab late into the evening when most of Stark Industries’ employees had already left for home.

“Jesus. I don’t want to talk about it, Bruce.” Tony knew his friend was referring to his behavior during the first simulation.

He pretended to study a section of the device as he fiddled, when in reality he was still mulling over his actions from a few days ago. He really didn’t feel like talking about it, especially now since he was in the process of repairing his working relationship with Steve. He also had hoped everyone would just let it go.

Bruce stayed silence before continuing. He was leaning against a table, mimicking a thoughtful pose.

“Okay. Well, when you want to talk about it, I’m here.” It was now obvious that Bruce was referring to Tony’s other issues beyond the botched simulation.

“But I do think it went better today. I think you and Steve might end up making a great pair.”

Tony looked up at Bruce, his face twisting into a skeptical expression. “Very funny, Banner.”

Bruce chuckled before he proceeded. “No, I’m serious, Tony. You work well with people who don’t take your shit and well, Steve seems to be your best match.”

Tony considered the statement before responding. It was true that the second simulation went far better than the first. Tony had shown Steve the best way to memorize the keys that created the figures they needed to input into the Synergy device. Both communicated with each other when needed and neither one lost their cool. Tony had figured that Steve was being as professional as possible. Anyone else would have probably asked to be assigned with someone else.

“I was distracted the last time…personal issues…you know the deal.” Tony nearly mumbled as he looked down at the device in his hands. He turned it around a few times as he heard Bruce sigh.

“Yeah, I figured. It could have been a lot worse. But Steve seems like the type who’ll adjust to anything.”

Tony wasn’t sure if he should take that as a compliment, although he knew his friend was trying to assuage his worries about possibly wrecking Project Synergy before going out into the field.

“And like I said, you can talk to me about it whenever you’re ready. I know since taking Peter in you’ve been getting better, but I also know it still helps to talk...”

* * *

Steve was watching the movie, but he was also thinking about the last simulation run through. This second time, both he and Tony seemed to be working fine like they had his first day. It was almost as if the impatient Tony from before was an anomaly.

Yet, later that evening when he was getting ready for bed, Steve couldn’t stop thinking about whatever was bothering Tony to upset him like that. He knew he would just have to learn to adjust; that was the only way. He had already learned a lot working on the project and with Tony. He wasn’t going to let one misunderstanding or other future ones ruin this opportunity.

Also, it had helped when Bruce pulled him aside earlier that morning to vaguely explain that Tony was going through some stuff lately that wasn’t limited to Synergy. Although Steve had figured that was the case, it was good to receive verbal confirmation from one of the people who knew his lab partner the best.

Steve laid in bed, looking up at the ceiling as he thought back to the conversation.

* * *

“…and don’t get upset, but I mentioned to Steve this morning that you may be a little stressed at the moment…”

Tony’s eyes widened. He slowly placed the device on the table in front of him as he rose out of his chair.

“Banner. Are you _fucking_ kidding me?” His heart started beating with the hugest wave of embarrassment. It was already bad enough that he humiliated himself on the regular, but now his friends were, too?

_That explains why Steve was so understanding…_

Bruce put his hands up in a halting position. “Okay, come on, Tony. You’ll thank me when you’re out in the field together. You may even get that date.” He grinned, wildly.

Tony didn’t think it was possible for his eyes to get any bigger. “Banner, if you weren’t a crucial member on this fucking team, I would fucking murder you. No scratch that, on second thought, I _will_ murder you.”

Tony had never felt so mortified in his entire life, and that was saying a lot. He had to steady himself by placing his hands on the table in front of him.

Not only had Steve been exposed to his hotheadedness early in their working relationship, his lab mate was also aware of his personal struggles. Who knows what’s going on through Steve’s head now?

“Relax, Tony. I think it did more good than harm. Steve seemed appreciative of the information. I can tell he likes you. And I’m not just saying that.” Bruce crossed his arms again. Tony sat backward in his chair, desperately looking everywhere except at his friend.

_Steve’s obviously being nice. _Tony wondered to himself about Bruce’s observation.

“And I just told him that you have some very personal issues to deal with. No details, I promise.”

Tony groaned as he sank lower in his chair. “_Very_? Now he probably thinks I’m an emotional wreck.”

Bruce laughed quietly. “I was trying to convey the seriousness of the situation without giving away too much. But like I said, I think it helped.”

Tony groaned even louder. He slapped a hand to his face to cover his eyes, taking a moment. “Speaking of which, are you still able to go with me to the house in the Hamptons?

He peered through his fingers to see that the sudden change in topic threw his friend off. “Um, I think so? I’ll have to check my calendar.” Bruce answered, awkwardly.

Tony slowly swiveled in his chair, letting his hands dropped to his sides. “I think I’ll be ready to go back there soon. But that’s if I don’t plunge into a downward spiral again.”

It was obvious that Bruce hadn’t appreciate the comment; Tony watched his friend’s face contort into a look of serious concern.

“Tony, I told you I’m worried about you. Let me check my calendar and find some dates so I can go with you.”

Tony inhaled then exhaled deeply as he went back to fiddling around with the Synergy device. “I didn’t mean that to shame you into going with me…I would take Rhodes but he’ll be playing patriot in Washington when the house is free.”

“Yeah, I know, Tony. I want to go.” Tony looked up at Bruce who was smiling. He smiled back, although it was on the weaker side.

“Thanks. Greatly appreciated.”

* * *

_About a couple weeks later…_

Steve punched in the last figure. He looked at his watch; his timing was getting better with each practice run. He walked away from the Synergy device while looking down at the tablet he was holding. He had managed to figure out and memorize all of the possible figures and functions that could ever be entered into the device. It had only taken him about a week or so to be super quick about it, but he was finally willing to give himself some praise.

“I don’t think I could be any quicker. Nice work, Rogers.”

Steve turned his head slightly to see that Tony was standing behind him, holding two cups of coffee. He handed one to Steve with smile.

Steve accepted it. He turned the mug around in his hand until he met the handle, shyly smiling back at Tony.

“Thanks. I think I can shorten the time even more if I combine some of the related functions.”

Although Steve had been mostly preoccupied with learning the ins and outs of the Synergy device, he was also consumed with learning how to work best with Tony. There still had been no major fight between the two, not even a little spat. Steve reminded himself of his conversation with Bruce and everything seemed to be working fine. He had even noticed that although his lab mate hadn’t really apologized for the first simulation, Tony was trying to be a better teammate. Steve took it for what it was; he was still getting to know Tony.

Steve placed his mug on the table next to him as he showed Tony his shortcut. Tony made a few pleasant-sounding noises as Steve worked.

“Well, goddamn, Rogers. This is incredible. I haven’t even thought of that.” Tony had his arms crossed when Steve turned to face him again. He was smiling uncontrollably. Steve nearly blushed, realizing he had impressed a tech genius.

“Thanks, Tony.” He ran a hand through his hair, but immediately clammed up as Tony continued to watch him.

Tony chuckled before walking over to a console in the middle of the lab.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., sync the team’s earpieces, please. I think it would be best to have each lab pair linked to the same channel.” Tony studied some data before turning his body somewhat to address Steve.

“Check to make sure that earpiece is working properly. Would hate to be out in the field and they start malfunction—”

“Stark. Rogers. I need you to get to Mount Liberty ASAP. There’s been an incident involving a visiting diplomat…” Before Tony could finish his sentence, Fury’s voice filtered in through their earpieces.

Steve joined Tony at the console as they listen to Fury finish explaining their assignment. His heart started to thump with excitement.

“…they managed to get him to the hospital, but the staff doesn’t have access to the machine they need to keep him alive. Apparently, he has a rare heart condition that only his personal doctor has been able to keep stable. I’m sending the rest of the team’s whereabouts.”

Steve watched the console in front of him light up with data. Holographic images of the event unfolded along with information regarding the location of the rest of the team. He felt a hand on his forearm.

“Showtime.” Tony jogged over to the table where Steve was working with the Synergy device and picked it up before exiting the lab. Steve followed closely behind him.

“Rogers, take this.” Tony handed Steve the device as they both rushed out of the lab. Steve hesitated a moment; although he was now comfortable with the controls, he wasn’t sure he should be the one handling such a delicate device on their first outing.

“Uh, are you sure, Tony?” Steve almost mumbled.

Tony quickly glanced at him as they made their way toward the express elevator. “I wouldn’t let you near my lab if I thought you weren’t capable. Where’s all that military confidence?”

Steve nodded and straightened up slightly which prompted a coy smile from Tony. “There it is.”

Tony punched a button to the private express elevator once they reached the bank. Once inside, the shaft of the elevator skyrocketed to one of the upper floors of the tower. Steve nearly fell over, but his practiced balance saved him while Tony calmly stood rigidly in place, seemingly used to the speed of his building’s elevator.

Tony bolted out of the elevator as soon as it opened its doors. Steve took his time exiting as he recognized that they had arrived at one of the mezzanine levels, semi outside the tower. He watched Tony hustle over toward a helicopter on a landing pad that extended far outward on a cantilever.

Steve shook his head to regain his resolve; he had seen the helicopter before, but this time they weren’t on a tour. They were on their way to put the Synergy device into practical use.

Tony waved for Steve to catch up. “Come on, Rogers! Let’s move!”

Tony pulled a small device out of his pocket and clicked a button. The propellers on the helicopter began spinning; it almost felt like they were in a war zone with the surge of adrenaline that shot through Steve at the sight. He immediately got his wits about him as he hustled after Tony, ducking his head as soon as he reached the helicopter.

Steve jumped in after Tony and strapped in. He could feel his heart pounding out of his chest, but it was a good feeling. He looked over at Tony who winked at him before putting his sunglasses on. His lab partner then ginned before pressing a few buttons on the console. The helicopter jerked a little as Tony easily maneuvered the controls, immediately impressing Steve.

“We’re going to the hospital first; we’ll contact Barton and Romanov on the way!” Tony shouted over the rush of wind as the helicopter lifted from the pad.

Steve looked downward at the city as they departed. “Thor and Bruce should be at the hospital when we get there! We’ll get the equations when we reach the hospital!” Tony added.

Steve nodded. He could hear Tony through his headset, but most of his attention had been captured by the helicopter leaving the tower. He had seen New York from an airplane, of course, but it was nothing like seeing it from this vantage point, in a helicopter, and with Tony Stark.

* * *

Mount Liberty Hospital wasn’t too far away from Stark Tower. Steve looked down at the hospital landing pad to see several doctors standing around waiting for them to land. Tony easily guided the helicopter into place before jumping out of the cockpit. Steve jumped out after him, delicately slinging a bag containing the Synergy device behind his shoulder. The bag had a huge Stark Industries logo embellished on it.

“Mr. Stark! We’re so glad you could make it!” One of the doctors shouted over residual helicopter wind as she and the other doctors greeted Tony and Steve.

Tony shook her hand as he shook his head. “Just Tony. This is Steve Rogers, one of Synergy’s finest.” Tony motioned toward Steve who meekly shook the doctor’s hand.

She nodded at both Steve and Tony, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Rogers.” She then waved her hand to have them follow her inside. “This way, please.”

As they followed the group of doctors inside the building, both Steve and Tony simultaneously glanced at each other; Tony grinned, and Steve smiled. Reality quickly interrupted the brief moment between the two as soon as they realized they needed to catch up with the doctors who had already disappeared into the building.

“How long do we got, doc?” Tony asked, peering down at his wristwatch as the group rushed down a corridor.

“Thirty minutes at the most.” The doctor looked grave as she pointed them toward a section of the hallway marked “PERSONNEL ONLY”. Tony sped up with the doctor as they rushed through the doors and down the hallway. Steve easily kept up with them, but he could feel his nerves trying to overtake his composure.

Once they approached a hospital room, the doctor went in first to clear the ambassador’s entourage out. Steve felt a hand lightly caress his shoulder.

“Okay, Rogers. _You_ got this.” Steve turned to look at Tony who was still facing forward, but with his hand on his shoulder, waiting for the doctors to let them in.

Steve nearly turned a fair shade of pink from how confident Tony appeared to be in him. Also, that was maybe the seventh or eighth time Tony had either touched him on purpose or by accident. But Steve wasn’t really counting.

“Okay, you can come in now.” The doctor motioned for them to enter.

The ambassador was lying in a bed, hooked up to various machines. He was breathing deeply with the assistance of a mechanical ventilator. One of the nurses passed Steve and Tony with a small tub full of bloody bandages as he walked out of the room. It became terribly clear that if they didn’t do something quickly, the man would die.

Steve carefully removed the Synergy device from the bag before placing it on top of the bedside table. He pressed a few buttons before addressing Tony.

“Ready, when you are, Tony.” Steve fingers hovered over the device as he waited for data.

He breathed deeply which helped. The adrenaline coursing through his body was now redirecting itself into remembering all the possible sequences and functions to input into the device.

Steve listened to Tony tap a few times on his tablet. “Here’s the sequence: Open brackets: epsilon inverted, beth, 34450 divided by 45, closed brackets. Open brackets: omega, ominus, delta, 345 divided by 1234, closed brackets.”

As Tony read off the figures, Steve could sense that his lab mate was trying to be careful not to trip him up while also reading as fast as possible. Steve quickly typed in the data; he was amazed with how efficient he had become with the machine hardware.

As soon as he entered the last set, the vibranium core glowed as the device generated the parts needed for the machine. Everyone in the room huddled around to see the device create the specs.

“Beautiful...” Steve murmured, backing away an inch or two to get a better look at the sight.

“Indeed, Rogers.” Tony clasped his shoulder again as he too gazed at the device.

The machine made a quiet humming noise as it neared the end of the process. Everyone in the room went completely silent as the color from the blue vibranium core grew in intensity; it appeared as if the substance was pulsing with every little mark and inscription etched into the spec. The practice simulations of the device hadn’t done the real thing justice; Steve was left utterly speechless with how vibrant the device appeared. He wished he had his sketchbook with him; however, he was sure he would never forget the image’s lively hue.

“Specs coming your way, Banner.” Tony spoke into his earpiece as soon as the device stopped glowing and generating.

“Wow, it never ceases to amaze me how fast this thing works.” Bruce’s voice filtered in through both Steve and Tony’s earpieces. The voice was soon followed by the appearance of Thor and Bruce as they entered the room. They were carrying the replicated pieces and a broken machine.

The doctor looked at the pieces than back at Tony and Steve before looking back at the pieces again. She appeared extremely baffled. “How does this even work?”

Tony grinned. He placed his tablet on the bedside table. And suddenly, as he leaned to the side with his arms crossed, there was that alarmingly charming smile of his.

“Sorry, doc. But I can’t tell you that. You know, government secrets and what not.” Tony waved his hand around as Thor and Bruce finished assembling the machine.

The team stepped back to let the doctors hook the ambassador up to the machine. Without a minute to spare, the ambassador’s vital signs immediately returned to stable. All the doctors and nurses present in the room audibly sighed with relief and gratitude.

“This should give the board something nice to ruminate on while we do our work in peace.” Bruce clapped Tony on the back as he followed Thor out of the hospital room.

“Our newest team member is proving to be a great asset. Excellent work!” Thor nearly shouted out in the hallway which caused Steve to blush again.

His heart had long stopped racing from nerves; it was now racing with excitement and possibility. He felt a hand caress his shoulder again. He looked over to see Tony smiling at him.

“You’re breaking hearts all over the world anytime someone pays you a compliment, Rogers.” He continued to smile as he joined Thor and Bruce out in the hallway.

Something about Tony’s expression still had its usual flare for the press, yet something about it suggested something else. Steve wasn’t quite sure what it entirely meant, but he wasn’t turned off by it at all. Actually, he found himself drawn to it and, by extension, Tony.


	8. Chapter 8

“Welcome to Metropolis News! We have a great story to share this evening.”

“That’s right. Stark Industries’ newest tech, the Synergy Device, is making _quite _the splash.”

“Yes, indeed. Tony Stark and his Synergy team swooped in at the eleventh hour to save a visiting diplomat and needless to say, the country possibly avoided _another_ international debacle.”

“Ha, it appears that the details of the project are still under wraps, yet we can tell you that it looks like we’ll be hearing more about the Synergy device in the future.”

“Yes, if they keep this up!”

“Now in other news. Having trouble keeping taps on your children? Hammer Industries has created an insertable chip that lets you monitor their _every_ activity…”

* * *

_Later in the week…_

Everyone in the conference room “ooed” and “awed” as an exploded holographic image of the Synergy device rotated above the table. Tony was standing in the front with Fury, waving his hand about as he explained the team’s latest work to the Stark Industries board, Pepper, and Obadiah. He could see Obadiah watching him intently down at the opposite end of the table, but it didn’t bother him like usual; he knew Obadiah was waiting to interject to poke holes in their research.

“As you can see, as one of my esteemed colleagues describes it, the device itself is both lightweight _and _durable.”

Tony used his clicker to stop the image from spinning; he then panned to the vibranium core. The holographic image was programmed to simulate a glow similar to the one experienced when the device generated specs to be replicated.

“And as you know from reading the initial dossier, the device is equipped with a vibranium core. This seems to be the only metal that not only keeps the Synergy device operating at efficient levels, it also keeps it stable.”

Tony pressed his clicker a few times to zoom in closer to the vibranium core. Everyone, except for Obadiah, scooted their chairs closer toward the table as numbers and specs ran next to the image. Tony ignored the board’s murmuring as he glanced back at Obadiah who was now crossing his arms. The older man wore a strange smile, one that used to make Tony feel extremely uncomfortable when he was younger, but of course he pressed on without missing a beat.

“The user—who is in our case, our newest team member, Steve Rogers, Columbia law student,” Tony paused for effect, grinning at everyone around the room, “—has the ability to input several functions into the device to replicate any material. However, if entered in incorrectly, the device will indicate so.”

Tony pressed another button on his clicker to show what it would look like if the Synergy device was used improperly. The holographic image turned an assortment of contrasting colors while shaking uncontrollably.

“Yet, we haven’t had any issues. Rogers is excellent with the device.” Tony kept grinning, thinking back to watching Steve work with the device in the hospital room.

“This is great, Tony. What are the next steps?” Pepper had to tear herself away from gawking at the image like the rest of the board. She smiled sweetly at Tony which he appreciated; it gave him something to focus on instead of worrying about Obadiah trying to intimidate him.

“Good question, Pep. We need to take the device out into the field a few more times to test any patterns and possible anomalies.”

“Anomalies?” Obadiah’s cool voice made the word sound more problematic than Tony had intended.

Tony coughed before looking briefly back at Fury, who remained still, but calm. Tony then turned to face the board.

“Whenever you’re assessing the validity of a hypothesis, you have to run multiple tests to establish any possible variables.” Although it was straight forward science, Tony meant for the sentence to sound as condescending as possible.

Obadiah shot Tony the widest, unnerving grin. “Of course, Anthony. It’s good to hear that your team is doing _such_ rigorous work.” The sentence came off just as condescending as Tony’s had, if not more.

Fury stepped forward to join Tony who was now standing closer to the table. “Our first real run with the device—a decidedly serious one—demonstrates the positive capabilities of the device.” Fury pulled out his own clicker to show the parts of the machine the team had replicated to save the ambassador.

“And as was already mentioned, we’ll need to use the device in a few wide-ranging scenarios to see what works and what doesn’t. But I can assure you all that the team assembled by Stark and myself is more than proficient to prove the usefulness of Synergy.”

“That’s quite the statement, Colonel. If that’s the case, then no need to worry.” Obadiah grinned once more before clapping his hands together.

He then rose out of his chair, buttoning his suit jacket. “If there isn’t anything else to discuss, I would like to suggest taking the board to the Synergy labs to see some of the work thus far.” He kept his eye trained on Tony who only returned it with a toothy smile.

Everyone murmured as they began moving away from the table. Tony remained in the front as he watched everyone dawdle a bit before exiting the room.

“Hey, Pep. May I speak with you for a quick second?” Tony motioned for Pepper to join him at the front of the room as everyone else made their way out. Obadiah glanced back at them, lingering a bit before engaging in a conversation with a reluctant-looking Fury.

“I need some advice.” Tony immediately asked as soon as they were alone, his voice lowering. He didn’t need to soften his voice, but he was paranoid that someone might be hanging around outside the room.

“Okay, I’m all ears, Tony.” Pepper stepped closer toward Tony, indicating that she was also concerned that they may be overheard.

_Hopefully these high-tech, sound-absorbing, heat-resistant glass panels really live up to their name_. Tony hoped, his paranoia mixing a bit with apprehension.

“I want Obadiah to resign. I don’t trust him around Project Synergy.”

Pepper looked to be considering the proposal. But then she closed her eyes briefly, inhaling sharply before answering.

“I know, Tony. I don’t trust him either. But I don’t think that’s a possibility.” She looked down at her hands, which were clenched together, before looking back up at Tony.

“We have way too many people on the board who would also resign if we pushed him out. We can’t risk that, especially after having started this new project.”

Tony crossed his arms as he looked downward at his chest. He knew she was right, but part of him wanted Pepper to embrace the risk and help him somehow.

“I can’t let him near the device. I have Bruce in the lab right now guarding it and deflecting him, if necessary.” Tony sighed as he glanced upward at Pepper. Her expression looked pained.

“I know, Tony. I’m doing the best that I can when he asks for more details. And I know this sounds trite, but if you keep doing this great work, the board will be on your side—uh, not saying that anyone’s against you, of course.”

Pepper lightly rubbed Tony’s arm; Tony was amazed with how relaxed he finally felt in his repaired friendship with her. A year ago, he would have been a wreck trying to talk to Pepper about even the smallest of matters.

“That’s easier said than done,” he inhaled as he tried to think of a plan, “let me know when he comes to talk to you and keep a mental note of anyone else who does. I want to keep track of anyone who might be leaking secrets.”

Pepper nodded emphatically. “Will do, Tony.” She smiled before turning to exit the conference room.

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to you about the assignment before the meeting. It sounds like Steve is doing fine.” The two of them walked out of the room into the hallway.

Tony smirked. “He’s more than fine, he’s doing fantastic. I think he might know more about the device than I do.” He had a silly grin on his face as he thought about Steve working with the device.

Pepper chuckled. “Wow. Never thought I would live to see the day when you admit that someone knows one of your projects better than you,” she teased, “he was definitely a good choice then.”

“Hey, I’m not _that _bad, Pep.” Tony teased back, which prompted a giggle from Pepper.

Suddenly, Tony stopped walking for a split second to seriously assess the statement, watching Pepper continue down the hallway. He figured that might usually be the case, especially when he was younger and overly confident in his genius. But Steve was good at what he does.

_And also, very cute about it_. Tony snickered to himself as he jogged to catch up with Pepper.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

“Sorry, but only certain access codes can get into this lab.”

Bruce was shielding the entrance to Tony and Steve’s lab, arms casually crossed as if he were a bouncer at a night club. Obadiah was standing in front of him, barely fuming, but he had his hands on his hips to indicate that he was not pleased.

Obadiah pointed behind himself to call attention to the entire board and Fury. “I would like to show them the device, Dr. Banner.” He grinned, which looked a little menacing, but Bruce remained unfazed.

Bruce shrugged as he looked at Fury. Fury expressed his usual cool demeanor, but it was obvious to Bruce that he was pretending to be clueless about the lab access codes.

Obadiah sighed as he spun around to face Fury. “Can’t you override the system?” His voice raised a little, but he still managed to sound unflustered, although a tad exasperated.

Fury shrugged, much like Bruce had done. “I made a deal with Stark. He doesn’t meddle in the government dealings and I don’t get in the way of the lab work. It keeps the peace.” He ended with a leer, crossing his arms.

Obadiah attempted to intimidate Fury with a scowl, however, he hadn’t accounted for Fury’s famed, perfected stare down. The two ended up glaring at each other, intensely, for at least a few minutes. Everyone else looked back and forth between the two men, as if they were watching a tennis match, until Obadiah finally gave in. He laughed quietly, mustering up that usual fakeness he saved for board meetings and the press.

“Fine,” Obadiah spun around to face the rest of the board, “at least you all can sleep well at night knowing that here at Stark Industries our security is optimal.” He motioned a bit with his hands for emphasis.

The board members murmured to each other, but no one appeared offended. Actually, every single one of them appeared impressed that even their high-level security clearance couldn’t even get them close to the device.

“You may not get to see the device today, but you will see the device in action during our scheduled simulation presentation.” Fury reminded everyone.

Obadiah grimaced at Fury before smiling back at the board. “Follow me and I’ll show you all the simulation suite.” Obadiah beckoned behind himself for everyone, except Fury and Bruce, to follow him to the suite.

As soon as the group left, Fury took his time joining Bruce at the entrance of the lab.

“Was I obvious? “Bruce asked, readjusting his eyeglasses. He was grinning a little, but it was on the shy side, typical for his anxious behavior.

Fury smirked before turning around to walk away with a shrug.

“Dr. Banner, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Bruce chuckled as he watched Fury walk away. He pulled out his phone to text Tony.

**Bruce:** Crisis adverted!

Bruce only had to wait less than a second to receive a reply from Tony.

**Tony:** Nice work, Banner!

* * *

_Later in the afternoon…_

“Mr. Stane? You wanted to see me?” Steve was standing in the threshold of the door to Obadiah’s office.

That mid-afternoon, Obadiah had emailed Steve, asking to meet with the latter at his most convenient time. Steve thought the request was strange; this would be the first time he would have a one-on-one with Obadiah since starting on the project.

Obadiah was reading some papers next to a bookshelf near his desk. He looked upward somewhat to acknowledge Steve.

“Ah, Mr. Rogers. Thank you for meeting with me with such short notice.” He motioned for Steve to take a seat in front of his desk.

“Please take a seat.”

Steve nodded before walking further into the office, taking his time. He glanced around, spotting immediately a framed photograph of Obadiah with a younger-looking Tony on top a bookshelf next to one of the huge windows in the office. Steve made a mental note to himself; he had overheard Tony complain once or maybe twice about Obadiah. Steve hadn’t pressed him on it, but he could tell each time that there was something deeper to Tony’s tension with the man.

On top of that, Steve hadn’t seen Tony all day to ask for advice on how he should proceed with meeting Obadiah but figured he could convey neutrality easily while also being on guard. Also, if anything about the meeting appeared awry, Steve would make sure Tony was aware.

Obadiah sat down in his desk chair after unbuttoning his suit jacket. Steve sat down after, waiting patiently for Obadiah to continue. Obadiah leaned backward in his chair. He appeared to be studying Steve; He took almost a whole minute to speak.

“How would you like to be the face of Synergy?” He asked casually before smiling too widely.

Steve barely winced, but inside he was a little perplexed by the offer. “The face?” He asked.

Obadiah laughed quietly. “I heard about your great work today and I think the board would agree that you would be the best to represent this project and Stark Industries during some of our upcoming promotional press conferences.”

Steve watched Obadiah clasped his hands together before answering. 

“Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Stane, but don’t you think it would be better to have Tony for the promotional tour? He’s in charge.”

Steve observed that referring to Tony as “in charge” seemed to have irked Obadiah, but the older man barely flinched beyond an apparent facial tick that gave him away.

Obadiah smiled as he leaned forward. “True, but you have a very magnetic personality, Mr. Rogers. Also, I think Anthony would be too busy _running_ the program to really participate.” Obviously emphasizing “running” in response to Steve’s comment about Tony being in charge.

Steve looked directly at Obadiah but toned down the intensity of his stare to continue to appear neutral. Something about this offer seemed out of place. Steve knew it had something to do with the strained relationship between Obadiah and Tony.

Steve took his time before responding. “I’ll only do the promotional tour if Tony comes along. He and I are a team.”

And it was true: after the working with Tony to help save the visiting diplomat, Steve could tell that their working relationship had been more than repaired; it seemed like they could work perfectly together in the future if they just communicated openly. Also, Steve found himself enjoying spending more time with Tony which eased a good deal of the friction between the two of them.

Obadiah squinted with another quiet laugh before leaning backward in his chair. He looked at Steve before looking down at his desk, shuffling around a few things before he continued.

“You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Rogers.” Obadiah tapped a few times on his desk with his index finger. “If having Anthony along with the promotional tour will get you on board then that’s fine with me.”

Steve nodded, smiling faintly, feeling a little uncomfortable with Obadiah’s demeanor.

“We’re planning for an event right after the simulation for the board, so stay tuned,” Obadiah rose from his desk, buttoning his jacket again before motioning for Steve to follow suit.

“The board is looking forward to it, especially to see how well you work with the device, Mr. Rogers.” Obadiah opened his office door for Steve. Steve nodded once more before standing in the doorway.

Obadiah held his hand out for Steve to take which Steve accepted. “Thanks, Mr. Stane. I think you and the board will be impressed after seeing what the device can do.”

Obadiah slid his hands into his pants pockets, sporting the same disturbing grin from before. Steve felt unsettled by it.

“So, I’ve heard. Have a good rest of your day, Mr. Rogers.”

Obadiah nodded at Steve as he began to close his door. Steve barely responded verbally as he turned around to head down the corridor, noting so himself, again, to be on the lookout for similar behavior from Obadiah in the future.

As he finally reached his lab, Steve spotted through the glass façade Tony working at a console. He smiled to himself before entering the lab.

“Welcome back, Mr. Rogers.” J.A.R.V.I.S. greeted, albeit dispassionately.

Tony turned around upon hearing J.A.R.V.I.S. welcome Steve. He leaned backward on the console, crossing his arms.

“Hey, Rogers.”

Steve stopped short before addressing Tony. He thought back to the framed photograph of his teammate in Obadiah’s office.

“I didn’t think I would get to see you today.” Steve responded, still smiling although now his expression was reserved.

Tony laughed quietly. He looked downward before responding to Steve. “One of my meetings got canceled at the last minute,” Tony peeked upward at Steve through his eyelashes, “so you’re stuck with me the rest of the day, unfortunately. Sorry.”

Steve nodded with a grin; he was amazed with how comfortable he was becoming with Tony’s sense of humor.

He waited a bit before continuing. “I just had a meeting with Obadiah…”

Tony’s facial expression contorted a little into a look of concern, but then he laughed again, seemingly fine. Well to Steve anyway.

“Oh yeah? What does Obie want now?” Steve could tell that Tony was trying to be his usual cheerful self, but now he sensed that something was making his lab mate uneasy.

Steve shrugged in effort to alleviate Tony. “Nothing too earth shattering, just that he wanted me to be the ‘face’ of Synergy for the upcoming promotional tours.”

Tony nodded slowly; his expression oscillated back and forth between pained and faked content. “Oh well, I probably would have asked you, too. You do have that sort of ‘face’.” He joked, making quotation marks with his fingers at the word “face”.

Steve smiled wearily. “I, uh…told him I would only do it, if you and I did it together…since we’re a team.” Suddenly, Steve felt weirdly nervous discussing this bit of information with Tony; he hoped he didn’t sound desperate.

Tony shuffled around a bit, expressing curiosity before really responding. To Steve it felt like forever; he began to regret even saying anything about the tour.

“…I really appreciate that, Rogers…” Tony finally offered with a sincere smile, although it was a little weak.

Steve smiled wider, but just enough not to look silly. “Of course, Tony.”

The two lingered before chatting a bit more about work, returning to their respective consoles as they worked together to catch up on some leftover tasks.

“Would you, um…” Steve flinched, almost sure he hadn’t heard Tony begin to address him again. He turned somewhat to look at his lab mate out of the corner of his eye.

“…would you like to get lunch tomorrow? Like with me, I mean. I’ll treat ya…” Tony was crossing his arms again; his expression was sheepish which caught Steve off guard.

Steve had to keep himself from blinking as he turned to face Tony directly. He did like spending time with Tony in the lab, but this would be the first time they would be together outside of the lab and not with the team. Although some aspects of Tony’s personality still bothered Steve, he was relaxing more around his lab mate and having lunch with him sounded nice.

Steve nodded; he was just as timid as Tony had been. “Sure, I would like that.” He answered with his own reticent smile.

Tony nodded back, looking a little relieved, but Steve told himself not to read into it.

“Cool…uh, let’s try to finish something today, shall we?” Tony teased halfheartedly.

Steve chuckled. “Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Subject: CONFIDENTIAL

UNKNOWN SENDER

To: Erik Selvig ([selvig@starkindustries.org](mailto:selvig@starkindustries.org))

> Access codes to lab have not been disclosed. Need to proceed with plan B. Whatever you think is best, however proceed with the utmost caution. Will send the device dossier in a secure package. And wipe all email traces.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

“Sir, it’s a quarter to six.” J.A.R.V.I.S. reminded Tony of the time. It was getting close to when Peter’s aunt would be dropping off the nine-year-old.

Tony sighed. Peter wore a wristwatch Tony had designed for him that included J.A.R.V.I.S., and Tony had forgotten that he had the computer programmed to keep him informed of Peter’s usual arrival on specific days of the week.

“Thank you.” He answered, a little annoyed.

Tony was sitting in a chair at a desk in his lab, hunched over a tablet. He figured he could try to get in a few more minutes of work before turning in for the evening to eat dinner with Peter.

As he worked, he replayed the first assignment in his head. Tony had confidence in the team, sure, but the first mission had gone far better than he had ever hoped. It helped that their individual personalities and professions lent toward their specific tasks, but Steve had impressed Tony the most. He had never seen anyone who was a self-professed luddite take so easily to complicated tech, especially in its beginning stages.

_Relax, Tony…I can tell he likes you…_

He swiveled back and forth in his chair. It was strange to think that Steve possibly “liked” him, but what did that even mean? Bruce wasn’t clear…or maybe he was. Was this a sly attempt on behalf of a friend to tell him to go for it? Bruce did comment on Tony possibly getting or asking for a date in the future with Steve, but maybe he was also teasing him. Tony couldn’t be so sure. He probably meant that Steve liked him enough to tolerate his antics, but then again, that could also be the way the rest of the team treated him.

“It’s now a quarter after six, Sir.” Tony nearly jumped as J.A.R.V.I.S.’s impassive voice interrupted his mental gymnastics.

Tony groaned. He put down his tablet to pinch the bridge of his nose. “J.A.R.V.I.S., please. I’m trying to get some work done.”

“Would you like for me to stop updating you on Mr. Parker’s expected arrival?” J.A.R.V.I.S. coolly asked.

Tony considered it, but then remembered why he had programmed J.A.R.V.I.S. to update him; he usually lost track of time whenever he was down to the wire.

“Ugh, no.” He sorely admitted, returning to his work.

Maybe Bruce was on to something. Tony ran a replay of the last couple weeks. Steve had been reacting positively toward him, so it was good to see that the first botched simulation hadn’t ruined their working relationship at least. But was there really a strong enough connection for Tony to ask Steve out? Like “out” out, not a random lunch between work colleagues. He still wasn’t sure.

Yeah Steve was cute whenever Tony “accidentally” or on purpose touched him. Even more cute whenever anyone complimented him. Tony had long picked up on that one personality quirk of Steve’s and ran with it. Their first field assignment gave him the opportunity to tease Steve about it, basically on the brink of explicit flirtation. When he had commented on Steve’s penchant for blushing, Steve hadn’t seem turned off by it at all. Actually—but Tony wasn’t entirely sure—Steve seemed kind of into it.

Also, learning that his lab partner had gone out of his way to defend him in front of Obadiah had been certainly unexpected, but of course Steve had only done so as a loyal team member. There’s no way he was interested.

“It is now half past six, Sir. Mr. Parker should arrive in a few minutes based on past received data.” Tony sighed after J.A.R.V.I.S. informed him once again of the time; he had barely finished the thing he was working on.

“Thanks.” He responded, now more annoyed with himself.

As he began cleaning up his work area, Tony thought back, again, to what Bruce had said about Steve “liking” him. He was now obsessed with the thought; he knew that if he didn’t remind himself to play it cool, it would consume him, and he would never get anything done.

Also, again, was he so sure that Bruce had been serious? He wouldn’t put it past is friend to tease him insistently about Steve, given that Tony did the same with Bruce’s attraction to Natasha. No, Bruce would be more sincere about this because, well, Tony’s track record with relationships is…poor, to say the least.

Tony glanced around the lab before heading toward the private express elevator.

“Poor” would be a good way to put it. Look at the way he had treated Pepper and it hadn’t even dawned on him that he was being a terrible partner until it was too late. No, Bruce wouldn’t make a joke about this, especially since his friends knew he was trying to get back onto the dating scene with as little baggage as possible.

Tony lifted the fingerprint scanner in the elevator to take him to the penthouse. He could feel his heart sink as the elevator carried him floor by floor.

Then why even try for a relationship at all? Maybe he shouldn’t date. He probably should just give up and focus on Peter and work. There was no use; he would just fuck it up again.

But there was something about Steve’s smile and the way he looked at him when they were together. It had the usual hint of Steve’s agreeable personality, but something about it suggested something else. As the elevator ran up the core of the tower to the penthouse, Tony smiled as he thought about Steve possibly “liking” him and that maybe he did have a chance.

* * *

_That night…_

As Tony closed the door to Peter’s bedroom, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. As he retrieved it, he saw that he had received a message from Steve.

**Steve:** Looking forward to lunch tomorrow!

Tony grinned the stupidest grin. Okay he _definitely_ had a chance.

**Tony:** Me too, Rogers.


	9. Chapter 9

_About a month or so later…_

“Okay, Rogers. Favorite movie.”

It was the middle of another workday at Stark Industries. Both Tony and Steve were hanging out in their lab; Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” was playing in the background on low volume from a playlist Tony had created in college.

Tony was lying on top a table, sprawled out, bouncing a rubber ball off a nearby wall. Steve was on the other side of the lab, leaning up against a console with his arms crossed. He couldn’t stop laughing from Tony persistently quizzing him about his likes and dislikes.

“And don’t say something obvious like _Modern Times_, like some cynical cinephile.” Tony smirked as he effortlessly caught the returning rubber ball.

Steve hummed loud enough for Tony to hear that he was seriously considering this seemingly important question.

“I do prefer classic Hollywood movies, but I would probably say something romantic like _Casablanca_ or _Roman Holiday_.” He answered causally.

Tony sat up straight at the word “romantic”, almost knocking himself off the table. The rubber ball flew past his head.

“Wasn’t expecting that—well, actually, getting to know you more and your taste,” he grinned, “I_ should_ probably expect that.” Tony swung his legs off the side of the table, kicking them back and forth as he looked back at Steve.

Steve shuffled around a bit. “Didn’t realize I was that easy to read.” He was smiling, suggesting he hadn’t taken any offence to Tony’s assertion.

Tony continued to swing his legs back and forth. “I wouldn’t say you were the easiest to read, just that I could probably figure out what you like to do in your free time.”

Steve kept his arms crossed, but now his expression was coy. “You could probably figure out what I like to do in my free time? That sounds a little stalkerish.”

Tony laughed. “I’m a lot of things, but I can assure you that I’m _not_ a stalker—Well, that’s unless you want me to be.” The statement came out more flirtatious than Tony had intended but that didn’t seem to bother Steve either.

Steve’s smile brightened as it widened. The last month or so had been like this between him and Tony.

The team hadn’t gone on any other field missions since their first assignment. They mostly worked in the lab or ran practice simulations. But Steve and Tony had been working perfectly together on anything they were tasked to do. Well “perfectly” might have been too strong of a word to describe it: although the two managed to work without causing any problems, it was obvious that a difference remained between their opposing personalities.

Yet, their seemingly conflicting temperaments still meshed nicely in this environment. Steve’s consistent cool headedness outweighed Tony’s dogged hotheadedness, while Tony’s affinity for thinking outside the box encouraged Steve to open up more and embrace the unknown.

“If it doesn’t get too out of hand, I wouldn’t mind that.” Steve answered. Any worry he might have sounded silly was quickly dashed by Tony’s jovial expression.

About a week ago, while working late with Tony, Steve realized there was something more to his relationship with his lab mate, maybe something beyond a friendship. What that entirely meant, he wasn’t sure. He hadn’t told anyone how he was feeling, not even Sam or Bucky. He had always been this cautious; he wanted to explore where this was going first before jumping the gun.

As was mentioned before, it had been a while since Steve had been in a relationship or gone out on a date. However, he found himself easily flirting back with Tony whenever prompted—if that was what his lab partner was doing, of course. Again, Steve couldn’t be entirely sure; Tony acted like this with everyone else.

Tony would joke around with others, especially Bruce and Natasha, that occasionally verged on the flirty side, so Steve wasn’t sure if it was just his way of getting close with someone. Although it did feel different than what he had witnessed between Tony and others, Steve didn’t want to get his hopes up. He liked Tony and their working relationship; he was nervous he would ruin it with his personal feelings.

“You’re going to get me into a lot of trouble saying that, Rogers.” Tony smirked before hopping off the table. He continued to watch Steve with the same flirty smile before arriving at a console where he manually changed the playlist.

Steve watched Tony shuffle through a few playlists before landing on one he was the happiest with; Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” saturated the lab. Tony spun around and sauntered back to the table in time with the music, resuming his position on top the table after retrieving the wayward rubber ball. Steve grinned as he continued to observe him; it was nice getting to see this side of Tony.

“Okay, now this next one is tricky, so please be mindful of your answer before giving it.” Tony bounced the rubber ball against the wall.

“Favorite ice cream topping.”

* * *

_Later that afternoon…_

The Synergy team crowded into one of the smaller rooms reserved for private meetings shortly after Fury called the team to discuss the next phase in their project timeline. This tiny room, whose occupancy limit was five at the very most, was the only one available because Obadiah had reserved all the available conference rooms to accommodate a visit by the Stark Industries board for a press event not related to Synergy.

“Why can’t we meet in the lab?” Clint was practically sitting on one of Natasha’s legs as the two sat on top a small desk in the corner.

Natasha had been shuffling around a bit to get Clint to give her some space, but for some reason Clint was too unaware or preoccupied with the size of the room to notice that he was smothering his friend. Steve watched Natasha glance toward the other side of the room in between shuffles. He turned slightly to see that she was watching Bruce, who looked extremely uncomfortable. Steve thought maybe he could finally ask Tony what was going on between those two; he felt that he had gotten close enough with his lab mate to discuss more personal subjects along with their favorite things.

Tony rolled his eyes before he answered Clint. “Because we’re running a secret government program and I don’t want the media circus to see it.” He sighed heavily.

Tony was sitting next to Steve at a table that nearly took up most of the room. Their chairs were close enough for their legs to touch. Sensing Tony’s anxiety, Steve knew his lab partner’s sigh was mostly directed toward Obadiah and the board than at Clint.

“I think it’s good for building team morale.” Thor cheerfully chimed in. He was taking up most of the space near the front where Fury and Bruce were crammed. Fury was practically pinned to the front against the table and Bruce was half sitting on the table and half standing.

“So, what do you have for us, Fury?” Bruce had taken his eyeglasses off to rub the bridge of his nose. Steve had never seen him so agitated before.

Fury slid against the wall to retrieve some rolled-up maps in the corner. He unfurled them before placing them on the table. Everyone scooted close as best as they could to take a look.

“Wow, haven’t seen a paper map in ages.” Clint cooed.

Natasha nodded in agreement. “Now, maybe you two can lay off the interns who make your presentations.” She snickered at Fury and Tony.

Steve looked down at the map as everyone else continued to offer their own opinion about the holographic slide shows. He could see that it was a topographic map of New York City and its surrounding areas with a grid grafted on top of it.

Fury interrupted the chatter. “We haven’t had any new assignments, but we need to keep testing the device before this scheduled simulation for the board. I think now that we have the device stabilized and have run a few scenarios on it, and I believe we’re ready to test it in the field once again.”

Everyone nodded. Steve adjusted his chair to get a better look at the map, but in doing so, he inadvertently scooted his chair closer toward Tony, which he had thought was physically impossible given the space. Tony didn’t seem to notice or didn’t care; he stayed in place with both elbows on the table.

“We’ll need Stark and Rogers to go to this sector. There’s an old factory where we could test the device while it sends specs back to Dr. Banner’s lab.” Fury used a pen to point to a section of the map.

“Okay, that sounds like a plan.” Tony agreed as Steve nodded.

Then, without any warning, Tony slid an arm around Steve’s shoulder, which prompted the latter to blush right on cue.

“Rogers figured out that when we take the device out into the field, we can queue the figures before sending the specs to be replicated. This way, the device will also remember the sequences which will save us some time in the future.”

Tony proudly explained Steve’s recent contribution as everyone else around the room looked very impressed. Steve’s whole body flushed, but the coloration in his face was now mostly due to Tony still holding on to him as he continued to speak. At one point, before letting go, Steve was sure he felt Tony rub his shoulder with his thumb.

Bruce perked up as soon as Tony finished his statement. “Nice, Steve. You’re really getting a hang of the device.” Whatever tension he was feeling could only be broken by some good ol’ active scientific experimentation.

Steve shrugged. “I stumbled across it, but Tony was the one to point it out. It was more a team effort than anything else.”

Fury crossed his arms before giving Steve a well-deserved smile. “Well whatever it was may be what we need to show that the device is far more useful than we first discovered.”

“When do you need us to leave, Fury?” Tony now had his hand on the back of Steve’s chair. Steve had to prevent himself from leaning backward; he tried to keep a straight face as he listened to Fury and Tony, but he was sure his facial expression betrayed his discomfort.

“I would say as soon as we break. And just for a couple hours.” Fury circled their destination before rolling up the map to hand to Tony.

Tony slowly withdrew his hand from the back of Steve’s chair before accepting the map. Steve mentally exhaled with relief.

“Okay, team. Let’s roll out.” Fury motioned to let everyone know that the meeting was over. Clint nearly fell of the desk but was saved by Thor, who grabbed the former by the collar of his shirt before he faceplanted onto the floor. Bruce rushed out the room, nearly tripping over Steve’s chair. Tony briskly followed him from behind, so Steve hung back in case they were discussing something personal. He felt a hand pat his back a few times. It was Natasha.

“Great work, Rogers.” She smiled before exiting the room.

“Thanks.” Steve grinned. He lingered near the entry of the room, thinking about Tony weirdly half hugging him in front of everyone before whipping out his phone to send a text to Sam.

**Steve:** Would it be okay if I invited Tony over for dinner tonight?

Steve had barely sent the text before Sam fired back a reply.

**Sam:** As in Stark? YES!

Steve grinned before sending an affirmative response. Although Sam had complained a few times about Tony’s behavior following the first failed simulation, Steve knew his friend had been secretly hoping to meet Tony.

Steve smiled to himself—just another innocent opportunity to get to know your lab mate better, right?—before following the rest of his team down the hallway.

* * *

A few hours later and Tony and Steve were back in their lab. They had taken Tony’s helicopter to the abandoned factory and ran a few sequences through the device. While they worked, Tony continued to quiz Steve on details about himself. As Tony was giving Steve a hard time about what he liked to do on his days off—which, as you know, mostly consist of staying home and making dinner—Steve noticed that it was nearly time for them to head back.

Tony couldn’t believe the progress he was making with Steve. He knew he was pushing his limits, but Steve seemed to be enjoying it. And, although he insistently teased his lab mate for preferring to stay in to going out most nights, Tony could easily picture himself spending one of those nights with Steve.

Meanwhile, Steve had waited to ask Tony about dinner until they were alone in the lab; he knew it was super last minute, but he was hoping Tony would say yes.

“Hey, Tony. If you’re free tonight, would you like to come over for dinner? I’m thinking 7pm.” Steve rocked back and forth on his heels behind Tony who was facing the console he was usually stationed.

Steve watched Tony slowly turn around. He looked surprised, as if no one had ever offered to share a meal with him before.

In fact, Tony _was_ surprised; ever since returning to the lab from their outing, all he could think about was the possibility of having a quiet night in with Steve someday.

“Uh, sure…yeah. That sounds nice.” Tony smiled meekly, stumbling a little. He shuffled around himself. To Steve it appeared as if Tony had forgotten something; Tony was actually trying to hide his excitement.

“I have to make sure someone can watch Peter for me for a few hours, though.” Tony pulled out his phone, still smiling weakly. Steve wasn’t sure, but it looked like maybe Tony was grateful for the invite.

Steve nodded. “Oh, if it’s too much trouble, I understand—”

But before Steve could finish, Tony waved him off with a soft, kind-hearted expression. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it, Rogers.”

Tony then hurried out of the lab, mentally filing through which friends to bother in order to spend some time exploring his crush.

Steve watched him leave with anticipation; he had forgotten about Peter which he mentally kicked himself for. He reminded himself to keep that in mind for the next time.

_Well…if there is a next time_. Steve thought.

Once out in the corridor, Tony vigorously began scrolling through his contacts.

_Maybe I could ask Bruce? Or maybe Pepper? _Without really thinking, Tony clicked on Pepper’s name to call her. It rang a couple times before she answered.

“Hi, Tony. How are you?”

Tony inhaled then exhaled, finally realizing the gravity of his decision. Was it weird to ask your ex to watch your kid so you could ogle someone you’re not even sure is into you? Tony considered it, but he really wanted to spend more time with Steve.

“Hey, Pep,” he began, drawing out Pepper’s shorter nickname, “this is super short notice, but are you busy tonight? Something came up and I need someone to watch Peter for me for a few hours…” Tony trailed off, fully expecting Pepper to tell him to fuck off.

“Of course, I would love to watch Peter!” Tony glanced briefly at his phone to ensure that he had indeed called the right person.

“Really? Um, okay! Great, thanks.” He nearly tripped over himself.

“Caught in the lab?” Pepper wasn’t cruel about the possibility, she sounded genuinely curious.

“Uh, no…aw, well.” Tony ran a hand through his hair. He waited a second or two before continuing.

“Steve invited me over for dinner tonight…”

“That’s wonderful, Tony. What time do you need me to come over?” Pepper added before he could ramble on about dinner any further. She sounded sincerely happy for him.

“Could you be here around 6:30?”

Tony turned around to peek at Steve through the glass; it appeared as if his lab partner was trying to give him some space to figure out babysitting logistics. He gave Steve a thumbs up which prompted a smile from the latter.

“Of course! I’ll see you at 6:30.”

“Thanks, Pepper.” Tony stared at his phone for a second or so after Pepper hung up. He smiled as he rejoined Steve in the lab.

“Sorry again for putting you on the spot.” Steve offered as soon as Tony entered. He was still annoyed with himself for forgetting about Peter.

Tony chuckled as he went back to work. “It’s fine. A friend of mine is watching him tonight.” Tony figured he didn’t need to elaborate on who the “friend” was. Besides, would Steve even care? They were just having dinner at his place like how Tony had been daydreaming about all day.

“Oh, my roommate will be there. Just to let you know.” Steve quickly added, squashing that dream. He wanted to spend more time with Tony, but he also didn’t want it to seem like it was a date, you know, in case Tony wasn’t actually interested in him.

Immediately, Tony felt deflated. He knew this was a sign that Steve wasn’t interested in him.

“Oh, nice. Would love to meet a friend of yours.” Tony lied, his teeth practically gritting against one another.

Steve had his back facing Tony so he couldn’t see how pained his expression had become. He exhaled with relief thinking maybe Tony hadn’t picked up on how much he was looking forward to spending more time with him.

“Yeah, he seems really excited to finally meet you.” Steve volunteered as casually as possible although he didn’t want to talk about Sam wanting to meet Tony.

“Okay, let’s get this data recorded so we can get out of here early, shall we?” Tony stayed put at his console while Steve did the same.

Neither one really addressed the other until it was time to leave. But both kept overthinking dinner.

* * *

“If you want, Sam, I could arrange a tour for you to see the labs.”

Tony was sitting at the little table on the edge of Steve and Sam’s kitchen. He was twirling around a beer bottle in his hands as he casually offered Sam a tour of the Synergy labs. Sam was sitting on the other side of the table, completely mesmerized by having a conversation with Tony Stark. Steve was standing at the kitchen counter, plating the rest of dinner.

“Really? That would be awesome.” From the sound of Sam’s voice, Steve could tell that his friend was trying to appear cool as much as possible, but his eagerness was still recognizable.

Tony shrugged as if it weren’t a big deal. He really liked Sam and could tell he was a straight shooter, but he was really trying to win points with Steve.

“We’ll have to run a security background check on you, you know for safety purposes. But yeah, let me know when you want to come over.” Tony beamed at Sam before sipping out of his beer.

“I’m all right with that. But I’ll probably end up embarrassing Steve.”

Tony chuckled. “It seems like that’s easy to do.”

Steve turned around to join them at the table. “I’m not that bad.” He sat down in a chair which was facing the table backward, his arms crossed on top. Tony had to keep his eyes trained on Sam not to stare, but he was struggling.

“Okay, so the food is done. Help yourselves. There’s probably more space out in the living room.” Steve motioned for Tony and Sam to grab plates. The three of them shuffled around until they were out in the living room: Tony sat on the couch next to Steve while Sam sat in an armchair facing them.

Tony took a bite of his food. His eyes instantly lit up from how delicious it was.

“Rogers, I had no idea you knew how to cook.”

“An artist. A chef. Steve has no limits.” Sam cut in, sending his friend the most annoying grin.

Steve rolled his eyes. “My mother used to make this for me all the time, so it was easy.”

Sam mimicked his friend’s sense of annoyance. “Yeah, okay, Steve.”

Tony laughed. “Did Rogers tell you about the device we’re working on? Obviously, I can’t get into specifics, but your roommate here is quite the tech nerd. Although he doesn’t like to admit it.” Tony motioned toward Steve with his fork.

“No, he doesn’t talk about it because he’s taking himself too seriously. Although you refuse to get a smartphone, I’m not surprise you’re already a star player, Cap.”

Tony perked up at Steve’s nickname. “’Cap’?” He asked as he shoveled more food into his mouth, forgetting that Steve had been a captain in the military.

Sam smirked at Steve who just sighed with grief. “Most of my friends still call me ‘Cap’ even though I don’t go by captain formally.” Steve felt a little self-conscious; not only had the conversation shifted directly onto him, Tony was now aware of his friends’ nickname for him.

Sam chuckled lightly. “He doesn’t like it. But it’s still a good way to describe his stern yet encouraging moods.”

Tony nodded with the hugest grin. “Oh yeah, I’ve definitively experienced that.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to start calling me ‘Cap’ now too, Tony.” Steve glanced meekly over at Tony.

Tony grinned. “Well, _only_ if you deserve it, Captain Rogers.” For a brief moment it felt as if Steve and Tony were the only people in the room. They immediately stopped whatever was going on between the two of them as soon as Sam let out a little too loud, uncomfortable-sounding cough.

Both Steve and Tony looked away from the other before the conversation switched back to Synergy and Steve’s contributions to the team. Tony stayed for another hour or so before announcing it was probably time to relieve his babysitter, and Steve volunteered to show him out. They shook hands before Tony hopped into a car he ordered. As Steve reemerged in the apartment, Sam was standing in the kitchen perched against a counter, arms crossed and wearing the goofiest grin.

“What’s so funny?” Steve asked, genuinely curious.

“Nothing.” Sam continued to grin as he pushed himself away from the counter.

He began picking up the dishes left in the living room. “You know, it’s not really lost on me that I may never get this close to another celebrity again.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah I still need to remind myself that Tony’s famous and not just my lab partner and teammate.” He joined Sam in cleaning up.

“He seems way cooler than I had expected him to be; I kind of feel bad calling him an asshole. I’ll be sure to properly update Bucky.” Sam smirked.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate the full report.” Steve chuckled.

Steve delicately placed some dishes in the sink. He hesitated a bit before continuing as he turned around to face Sam.

“Apparently there are some unfortunate company politics going on at Stark Industries. One of the people who hired me, Obadiah Stane, is giving Tony a hard time. I don’t know more than that obviously, but I can tell it’s really bothering Tony.”

Sam leaned up against another counter. “Jesus, that’s rough. He seems like he’s not worried though.”

Steve nodded. “I think that’s his way of dealing with things.”

The two fell silent before Sam continued. “So…is Tony seeing anyone?”

The statement literally set Steve off guard, but then he grinned to recover.

“No, why? You interested?”

Sam laughed. “Uh, no.” He had his arms crossed against his chest again sporting the same goofy grin from before.

“What Sam?” Steve sincerely had no idea what Sam was trying to hint at.

Sam shook his head as his laughter subsided. “Nothing, Steve. I’m glad you and Tony are working well together.”

* * *

_Back at Tony’s penthouse…_

“Thanks for watching him for me, Pep. I owe you one.”

Pepper and Tony were standing near the entrance to the private express elevator in Tony’s penthouse. Peter had long disappeared into his room to tinker with some scraps Tony had salvaged from a failed experiment earlier that week.

“How was dinner?” Pepper gathered her jacket and purse, which were sitting on top on an avant-garde-looking statue.

Tony smiled timidly, but then he shrugged to seem cool about it. “It was fine, I think.” Well, it was more than fine, obviously. Tony appreciated getting to know Steve more which included seeing his place and meeting a close friend of his. He hoped the dinner had improved his chances of getting that date in the future.

Pepper smiled as she pressed the number for the lobby.

“Well, I’m glad it was fine.” Tony could tell that Pepper had noticed he was trying to play cool but was grateful she didn’t tease him about it.

Pepper reached over to give Tony a hug as the doors to the elevator popped open. She stopped short before entering the elevator to address Tony again.

“You know, Tony. I was thinking—and just hear me out before you protest.” She held her hands up in defense almost immediately before holding the elevator’s door open.

Tony nodded as he slipped his hands into his jeans’ pockets. “Okay.” He had no clue what Pepper was up to, but he could sense that he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear.

“I think it would be good to host an event for the board soon, maybe at the end of the month—” Tony groaned loudly, but Pepper continued, “—just to show that there aren’t any hard feelings between you and Obadiah.”

Tony groaned even louder. “That sounds like the _last_ thing I would want to do, Pep.”

Pepper continued to hold the door of the elevator shaft open. Tony could tell that she refused to leave until they agreed on the party.

“Tony. I know how you feel, but you need to keep the board happy.”

Tony looked down at his loafers before looking back up at Pepper. He knew she was right, once again, but having an event to put on a show for the board sounded fucking terrible. He hated playing nice with Obadiah, but he figured that was the only way to simmer down tensions before they received the government contract. Afterward, Tony was going to fire Obadiah, definitely.

“Fine.” He answered, agonizingly, drawing out the word with anguish.

Pepper smiled, although it was weaker than usual. “Tony, it’ll be okay. And I’m going to keep you updated, all right?” She let go of the elevator door before stepping in. She waved as Tony waved back at her.

Tony lingered near the elevator as he thought about this event. It would be an absolute nightmare to put on given that the team was already swamped. But then, as he roamed around the penthouse for a bit, checked on Peter, and readied himself for bed, Tony began to think that maybe the event could serve another purpose: he could probably use it to get closer to Steve.

As he was slipping into bed, Tony’s phone buzzed on his bedside table. He flipped it over to see that he had received a message from Steve.

**Steve:** It was nice having you over for dinner…sorry about making you get a babysitter!

Tony chuckled as he typed back a reply.

**Tony:** Thank you for inviting me. Peter probably needed the break from me anyway🤪

**Steve:** I’m sure that’s not true. 😊

Tony’s eyes lit up. This string of messages from Steve was the flirtiest his lab mate had ever been with him. He took a deep breath, commanding himself to take it easy.

**Tony: **Okay, I’ll take your word for it, Rogers.

Tony squinted at the message before he hit “send”. He bit his bottom lip as he waited for a reply from Steve.

**Steve:** …

Tony took another deep breath, thinking he should just turn his phone off for the rest of the night.

**Steve:** …

_Jesus, really? _Tony couldn’t handle the anticipation. He turned his phone off before placing it downward on his bedside table. He laid down in the bed with a dramatic sigh, tapping his fingers on his chest while staring up at the ceiling. After wading through a minute of anxiety-producing torture, Tony looked over at his phone. He scrunched up his face before letting out a groan as he reached over to turn his phone back on.

**Steve:** Haha, well I should go to bed! Night!

**Steve:** Haha, well I should go to bed! Night!

Tony chuckled with relief as he saw that Steve had accidentally sent him the same message twice. He typed back a cute response—well he thought so anyway—before turning his phone off again. He resumed looking up at the ceiling with a silly smile on his face as he drifted off to sleep thinking about Steve.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is illustrated with Stony fanart by [negativesd09](https://negativesd09.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! Check out their work; it’s so good! I’m so glad to have their work associated with this fanfic.
> 
> \--ladyslice

“Buck’s going to be _so _annoyed he missed a Tony Stark party.”

And like that, the end of the month finally arrived, and Steve and Sam were on their way to the Stark Industries board event.

The two friends were dressed in their nicest partywear as they rode the private express elevator in Stark Tower up to Tony’s penthouse. Steve knew Sam would appreciate accompanying him to a Tony Stark shindig; also, it sort of gave Steve an excuse not to bring a date.

Steve chuckled. “I think he would end up having the best time, too.”

Sam laughed. “Also, thanks for taking me with you, Cap. Although, it probably would have been better to bring a _real_ date.” Sam nudged Steve in the arm as the elevator made its way up the tower.

“I’m too busy to date.” Steve quipped. It was true; Steve was too busying trying to figure out his growing feelings for his lab partner to really consider dating anyone else.

“Of course, Steve.” Steve could see out of the corner of his eye Sam giving him that infamous goofy grin.

Over the past week, Steve had finally figured out that Sam had picked up on his attraction to Tony; during the last few weeks, Steve had been torturing his friend with consistent Synergy updates that had more to do with something Tony had done than anything else. Yet, Steve was still too insecure about his feelings to really discuss it; he needed more confirmation from Tony first. If that were a possibility, of course.

The elevator door opened to reveal the penthouse; they stepped out of the elevator car into the space, looking around aimlessly, amazed at the grandeur of it.

“Nice to see you again, Mr. Rogers.” J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice greeted them immediately.

Sam made a small noise of disbelief as he squatted immediately into a defensive position, hurriedly looking back and forth, trying to find the source of this dispassionate, non-human voice.

“What the hell?” Sam squawked.

“Hi, J.A.R.V.I.S. Didn’t know you lived in Tony’s penthouse, too.” Steve grinned, now used to addressing the computer as if J.A.R.V.I.S. were human.

Steve chuckled as he looked at his confused friend while pointing to the ceiling.

“J.A.R.V.I.S. is Tony’s computer system. I thought he was just programmed to the lab.” Steve explained casually.

“Mr. Stark has me programmed wherever convenient.” J.A.R.V.I.S. added.

Steve grinned as he nodded back. Sam still looked incredibly confused.

“This is my friend, Sam Wilson. Sam meet J.A.R.V.I.S. J.A.R.V.I.S., Sam.” Steve maneuvered with ease.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Wilson.”

Sam scrunched up his face, but Steve could tell he was super impressed by the tech.

“Uh, what’s up, J.A.R.V.I.S?” Sam answered as he finally eased up.

Steve laughed as he patted his friend on the back.

Sam straightened out his jacket. “All right, tech nerd.”

The two waited a bit before proceeding further through the space; they were still taking in the sight of the foyer of the penthouse. Having worked not too far away from it, Steve had fantasized once or twice about what his lab mate’s penthouse actually looked like, but whatever he had imagined in the past had done the real thing a severe injustice.

It was obvious that the penthouse was huge, but Steve and Sam could hear laughter and music playing from the balcony, delightfully filling the space around them. They stood still, transfixed by every single inch of Tony’s place, remarking silently to themselves how modern and tech-looking everything appeared to be with sprinkles and dashes of antique-looking items and toys for children.

After a minute or so, Tony finally found them. He was carrying two cocktails and wearing the hugest grin. Steve had never seen him so animated, which instantly made something inside of Steve tingle with anticipation.

“Nice to see you two.”

“Sam.” With a nod, Tony handed Sam a cocktail who graciously accepted it.

Tony took a bit longer to hand Steve his, smiling in such a way that evoked that arresting magnetism.

“Rogers.”

Although he was smiling, Steve looked tentative as Tony handed him his drink.

“Thanks, Tony. Your place is great by the way.” He offered, albeit timidly.

“Well that means a lot coming from you.” Tony smirked. Steve was too focused on Tony to see that Sam was making a face at the two of them.

Tony squeezed himself in between Steve and Sam before wrapping an arm around Steve’s waist, pulling him tight. He led them through the foyer, through a giant kitchen until they were outside on an equally large balcony where most of the party took place. Steve glanced around: he saw Clint and Natasha talking to Thor and Fury along with some other people; Bruce speaking to Pepper and another man he didn’t recognize; and Obadiah chatting with a group of people who looked to be members of the Stark Industries board. Tony waved toward Bruce as he let go of Steve.

“Hey, enjoy yourselves.” Tony extended as he walked over to Bruce and Pepper.

Steve watched Tony stroll away, before motioning for Sam to follow him in another direction.

“Let me introduce you to my teammates, Sam.”

The two friends walked over to Clint, Natasha, Fury, and Thor. They had a few lively conversations, one of which Steve learned that Fury had been married for over twenty years. He realized that he never really saw Fury having a personal life since, well, he was so private. Steve then met two other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Maria Hill and Phil Coulson, both of whom appeared very serious when introduced. Agent Coulson, however, after a cocktail, gabbed to Steve about how much he liked comic books. Steve also learned that Thor was in a relationship with another astrophysicist named Jane Foster, talking nonstop about her research.

The group chatted for another hour before Steve excused himself to find Tony. He spotted him over by the temporary bar talking to the man who was with Bruce and Pepper earlier. Steve smiled as he approached, taking note that Tony had noticed him making his way over.

“Ah, Rogers. I’ve been meaning to introduce you to that buddy of mine you remind me of.” Tony motioned for Steve to join him with his friend. The friend smiled at him as he greeted him with the tip of his beer bottle.

“This is Rhodey, short for Colonel James Rhodes.” Tony clapped Rhodey on the back as he pointed toward Rhodey before pointing toward Steve.

Steve reached out his hand to shake Rhodey’s. “And this is Steve Rogers.” Tony finished.

Rhodey shook Steve’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Steve. Tony’s been telling me that you’re quite the teammate.”

With a bit of a withdrawn smile, Steve looked over at Tony who was grinning. “Well it helps having a great partner. Nice to meet you too, Colonel.”

Rhodey held up his hand with a kind expression as he chuckled. “Rhodey’s just fine.”

The three of them chatted a little longer before Rhodey excused himself to speak to Pepper. Steve and Tony were left alone, both weirdly trying to appear not awkward at all.

“I know you didn’t want to have this party, Tony. But it’s great so far.” Steve practically whispered. He was close enough to Tony for his lab mate to hear his hushed voice.

Since the last few weeks or so, Steve had graciously listened to Tony complain about having to host this event. He tried to be as supportive as possible and even offered to help prepare for it.

Steve glanced over at Tony who was fidgeting a little but managed to settle into a comfortable stance with his arms crossed. Steve remarked to himself how handsome Tony appeared, but this time he didn’t reprimand himself for thinking so.

Tony smiled back. “It’s only great because of the company, Rogers.” He held his glass up for Steve to cheers and they clinked their glasses together. Eventually, the two waded through a comfortable silence, just one of the many they had prior till now that you can only truly have with someone you trust or are beginning to.

“I don’t know if this is out of line, which it probably is because I’m kind of known for that…” Tony began, still smiling, but Steve had noticed that his expression appeared reserved, commenting to himself that this was a first. Steve turned slightly to intently watch Tony finish his statement.

“…but you look very handsome…” The words seemed unreal as they left Tony’s lips which were what Steve was mostly focused on.

Steve blushed. He shuffled around a little before answering. “Aw, well. Thank you, Tony.” He grew suddenly quiet as he tried to process this interaction.

“So, do you, by the way.”

Tony chuckled. “Thanks, much appreciated.”

At this moment, the hired orchestra for that night’s evening began playing a version of “3 Pièces pour orchestre”. Tony placed his drink on the counter behind them before walking forward. He turned around, reaching his hand out toward Steve who looked puzzled.

“Wanna dance?” Tony asked sheepishly, adding a little shrug at the end of his question.

Steve looked around self-consciously before nodding. “Um…sure…but I don’t really know how.”

To Steve, Tony appeared astonished that he was willing to dance with him. Steve thought it was cute but was wary of making Tony feel more insecure about it.

“Don’t worry about it,” Tony kept his hand out, “I’ll show you how.” His expression returned to its usual shade of confidence.

Trying not to make a bigger deal out of the moment then needed, Steve followed Tony to the middle of the balcony designated for dancing. There were other people present so it didn’t feel completely odd to dance with Tony. Besides they were just friends. It really wasn’t a big deal.

Tony hugged Steve close to his body as he placed a hand at the base of his spine. He took Steve’s hand before they started swirling around with the other couples. After a few moves with Tony leading, Steve immediately picked up on the dance which then transferred into him taking the lead.

“My goodness, Rogers. You’re an artist, a chef, and now _quite_ the dancer.” Steve felt Tony hug him even closer.

Steve blushed which prompted a chuckle from Tony. “It helps having the right partner…uh…where did you learn to dance?”

Tony’s face immediately transformed from jovial to quite solemn, so solemn that Steve feared he might have said the wrong thing.

“From my mother.” Tony volunteered quietly.

Steve smiled. Something about this piece of information seemed to be the most private thing Tony had ever offered to share with him. He thought maybe he could take advantage of the intimacy.

Steve cleared his throat. “My graduation ceremony is next weekend. I have an extra ticket.”

“Are you asking me to attend your graduation, Rogers?” Tony smirked. His hand, which was now on Steve’s shoulder, tightened with every step.

“Yes, if you’re free, of course.”

Tony took a moment before answering. “I would love to go. Thank you for inviting me.” He grinned as the band finished the song. They stopped dancing but lingered before pulling apart.

“Also, thanks for the dance, Rogers.”

Tony then motioned for Steve to follow him to the other side of the balcony where they could look at the cityscape. Steve looked down and out: New York looked so different from this vantage point; he had never seen the Chrysler Building this close and it looked breathtaking. He decided that the city would never look more beautiful than it did that night.

“I’m going to have to get you up here more often, Rogers.” Tony began as he joined to admire the skyline with Steve. He had two drinks with him, one of which was a glass of water he handed to Steve.

Steve chuckled. “I don’t want to invade your personal space, Tony.”

Tony placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder; something about it felt different from all the other times. It was flirty, but Steve was sure he could feel something beyond it.

“I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t want to.” Tony answered quietly.

Steve responded with a cautious smile as he scooted a little closer toward Tony, noting, again, the shift in energy between the two of them. Tony looked slightly upward at him as he drew nearer, never removing his hand. The mood between the two had grown even more relaxed and cozy, but alas it was soon spoiled.

“Anthony.”

Both Tony and Steve twisted around to see that Obadiah had invaded their very intimate moment.

Steve could tell the situation was becoming tense from the way Tony had inched closer toward him as Obadiah approached. Tony placed a hand on his back as Obadiah finally reached them; something about it felt unnerving.

“Obie.” Tony nodded at Obadiah, looking the other way as he sipped out of his drink. He smiled like usual, but something about it felt off to Steve.

Obadiah turned toward Steve and smiled, yet Steve knew the expression was disingenuous.

“It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Rogers. Enjoying yourself this fine evening?”

Steve nodded before answering. He could sense Tony slowly disengaging himself from the conversation.

“Yes, Mr. Stane. Tony’s put on a great event.” Steve looked over at Tony who was grinning at Obadiah as he if were being confronted with a few hundred journalists and their cameras.

Tony acknowledged Steve, but Steve could feel that there was something wrong.

“Will you excuse me for second?” Tony nodded at Obadiah before walking briskly away from both men.

Steve watched Obadiah watch Tony cross the balcony. The older man sneered before turning toward Steve again. Steve felt like leaving too, but he didn’t want to make a huge scene.

“Well, I’m looking forward to your team’s simulation for the board, Mr. Rogers.” Obadiah offered without missing a beat.

“Of course. Nice chatting with you.” Steve reached out his hand toward Obadiah who shook it firmly, but before letting go, Obadiah leaned in closer toward Steve, lowering his voice to a full whisper.

“I see what’s going on, but I would be cautious if I were you,” Obadiah tightened his grip around Steve’s hand, “sleeping with Tony Stark carries a _huge_ burden. It’s not worth it.”

Obadiah let go of Steve’s hand with one last shake, his expression morphing back into that insincere smile, before walking away. Steve stood paralyzed, horrified by what had just transpired.

_Sleeping with Tony? Why would he think we were sleeping together? _Steve tried to process Obadiah’s warning as he furrowed his brow. He looked around for Tony who was across the way talking to Sam.

He felt like leaving the party all together. If Obadiah thought they were sleeping together, did everyone else think so, too? Was their relationship too close? Steve hadn’t thought so. Well, okay, he often easily found himself returning Tony’s flirtation, especially of late. Also, Steve had been texting Tony more lately, but it wasn’t like anyone else knew about it. Besides, Tony was flirty with everyone. Wasn’t he?

Yes, Steve admitted he was attracted to Tony, but sleeping together? Steve hadn’t even processed his feelings that far. And to add insult to injury, Obadiah’s allegation made it seem as if Tony was still living up to his playboy image by sleeping around with everything in sight. Surprisingly, that angered Steve the most. Tony had his moments, but Steve felt like he could trust him.

He inhaled deeply. He tried to look as calm as possible, but he needed to get out of there. His face had become flush with embarrassment and he dreaded having to carry on at the party as if someone who was integral to his current employment hadn’t just accused him of sleeping with his team leader.

Before Steve could figure out what to do, he felt a hand clap his shoulder which was accompanied by a hearty, joyful laugh.

“Enjoying yourself, my young friend?” An empty smile plastered Steve’s face as he turned to face Thor who was beaming at him.

“Yes, it’s a great party so far.” Steve lied.

“Please, I would like for you to meet a few of Stark Industries’ board members!” Thor chuckled before pulling him over to a group of people. Steve went along, but he wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

His will power was at its absolute limit; there was no way Steve would be able to keep a straight face while thinking that everyone assumed he was sleeping with Tony.

Steve smiled politely, but kept an eye out for Tony, which turned into an awkward game of keep away the rest of the night. He managed to avoid his lab mate as much as possible; at one point, Steve left a conversation hanging as soon as Tony approached him and Clint. Clint looked confused as soon as Steve excused himself abruptly, but then shrugged it off. Tony also looked bewildered but appeared to recover.

Steve was able to keep up the ruse the rest of the night before leaving earlier than he had planned to with Sam in tow. He wished a good night to everyone, except Tony; he was too mortified to even face him.

“That party was awesome. Tony’s so cool!” Sam nearly exclaimed on the subway ride home. Sam had more cocktails than he had expected and was basically leaning on Steve for balance.

“Yeah, he’s great.” Steve managed to answer without sighing heavily. He held onto Sam until they finally arrived back at their apartment.

* * *

_The next morning…_

The morning after hadn’t been any kinder to Steve. He spent the whole night tossing and turning in his bed, thinking about Obadiah’s accusation. He figured maybe mentioning something to Sam in the morning would alleviate his concerns. Besides, it was probably time to come clean about his growing feelings toward Tony.

Steve heard Sam shuffle into the kitchen and head straight for the fridge. He turned around to watch his friend then shuffle over to the table, nearly knocking himself over as he plopped down in a chair with a sandwich.

“Remind me never to drink again, Cap.” He slowly commanded before unwrapping the sandwich. He immediately perked up as soon as he took a bite.

Steve inhaled then exhaled as he turned the coffee mug he was holding around in his hands. He was leaning up against a counter.

“Remember that board member guy Tony can’t stand who was at the party last night?” He placed the mug down behind him to brace himself against the counter as he crossed his arms against his chest. Sam looked up from his sandwich and nodded.

“Uh, yeah. What happened now?” He managed between bites.

Steve sighed deeply. He looked down at his feet before looking up at Sam.

“He thinks I’m sleeping with Tony…”

Sam continued to look up at Steve, slowing his chewing to a painful crawl. He delicately placed his sandwich on its wrap before crossing his hands on his lap. Steve waited for him to respond, but his friend remained silent.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” Steve had meant for the question to sound like a joke, but it came out more distressed.

“Well…” Sam began, he squinted his eyes away from Steve who was staring intensely in his direction.

“Well, what?” Steve blinked a few times. He didn’t like the sudden shift in his friend’s tone.

“…well the way you two were that time we had him over for dinner…you know…and you were _kind of _all over each other at the party…” Steve watched his friend try to smile, but it looked more uncomfortable than anything else.

“Sam? Are you serious? Tony? And me? Sleeping together?” Steve pointed to himself before uncrossing his arms. He huffed a little as he pushed himself away from the counter before settling again.

“Look, Steve. You would tell me if you were, right?” Sam tried to regain some control over his facial expressions. He looked sternly at Steve.

“Of course, Sam. And I’m not. I mean…” Steve shifted on his feet a bit before looking away from Sam.

The thought of sleeping with Tony wasn’t itself terrible. Actually, the more Steve thought about it, the more he was into it—But that wasn’t the point; it was the idea that everyone else thought they were sleeping together which bothered Steve. What if people believed he was only accepted into the Synergy program because he was romantically involved with one of its main creators?

“You mean what, Cap?” Sam look genuinely concerned.

Steve sighed. He figured it was time to be honest.

“I like Tony—a lot, actually—but we’re not sleeping together, okay?”

Sam smiled. Steve could tell that he was trying his best not to give him a hard time considering how upset he was.

“Okay, then I believe you when you say that you’re not sleeping with Tony.” Sam continued to smile as he tried to return to eating his sandwich, but he looked apprehensive as Steve continued to stare at him in disbelief.

“Does anyone else think I’m sleeping with Tony?” Steve questioned, sounding more anxious than he had intended.

“Uh, well, this is my fault. I told Bucky about the dinner and he joked about giving Tony 'the talk'. Just once, Steve! Come on.” Sam rolled his eyes as Steve groaned upon learning that Bucky was talking about him behind his back about the possibility of him fooling around with Tony.

“You know how Bucky is. He’s a little overprotective. He just asked. That’s all. And I probably shouldn’t have told you that.” Sam grimaced as Steve sighed heavily.

Ever since his breakup with Peggy, Steve had to deal with an overly clingy Bucky who had made it his mission to make sure Steve not only got over his ex but would eventually find someone to settle down with. Bucky was super picky, which Steve appreciated, considering how long it took him to get over Peggy, but he was an adult and he could handle himself.

“It’s probably not even a big deal, Cap.” Sam smiled weakly.

Steve ran a hand through his hair. “Do you think I should say something to Tony when I see him next? I don’t want this rumor flying around…especially with all the company politics…”

Sam appeared to be considering the proposal. “Only if you think you need to.”

Steve nodded. He sighed mentally although he still felt uneasy.

“Oh, and Steve.” Sam started, his face returning to that goofy grin from before. “Tony’s great.” He only added to avoid embarrassing Steve any longer. Steve nodded timidly, grateful that his friend was nice about his developing crush.

Unfortunately, the rest of the weekend wasn’t so gentle with him. Steve ended up spending all of his free time obsessing over people thinking he was having sex with Tony. He wondered if anyone had ever mentioned it to Tony; he wondered what Tony would even think.


	11. Chapter 11

It was Monday and Steve had managed to rally up enough courage to tell Tony about Obadiah accusing them of some illicit affair.

He was in the lab earlier than usual, pacing—or trying not to pace—before Tony appeared.

“You’re here early. And that’s saying a lot.”

Tony quipped as soon as he entered the lab, nearly making Steve jolt at the sound of his voice. He smiled at Steve before walking over to a table with the Synergy device rested on top of it. Eerily silent, Steve stood rigid in the middle of the space, resting his hands on his hips. Steve watched Tony pick up the device and turn it around a few times. After a moment, Tony stopped what he was doing to look at Steve.

“Uh, you doing all right, Rogers?”

Steve hung his head; he figured it was better to get it over with.

“Okay…please don’t get upset…” He inhaled sharply before dragging out an exhale.

How in the world was he going to tell Tony that everyone thought they were sleeping together? Well, Steve had jumped to the conclusion that that was the case. If Obadiah and Sam had believed so then there was a good chance everyone else they knew thought so too. The thought ate away at Steve; people would automatically assume the only thing he and an older Tony Stark would have in common was that they were having sex.

“…uh…okay…” Tony put down the device. “Is this about the upcoming simulation for the board?”

Steve shook his head. He took another deep breath.

“No…um…well…”

He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to steady himself. He wasn’t sure how his conversation with Obadiah would affect Tony; he was trying his best not to get involved with the intercompany political war between Obadiah and Tony. But Tony was his teammate and Steve thought he deserved to know that Obadiah might be spreading lies about him.

“…come on, Rogers. Spit it out.” Tony smiled as he jokingly tried to get Steve to use his words. Steve could tell that his lab mate was becoming visibly restless, anticipating the worst.

“Someone at your party…” Steve looked downward at his shoes, “…well…basically…in a conversation during the party…ugh—someone, who was at the party, thinks we’re sleeping together.”

Steve shoveled out the last sentence as quickly as possible, basically physically preventing himself from hiding underneath the nearest table.

He bit his bottom lip and squeezed his eyes shut, just waiting for Tony to explode. But instead of righteous anger, all Steve heard was hysterical laughter.

Steve opened his eyes and observed an unrestrained Tony, doubled over clenching his sides. Steve stared, incredulous, as he waited for Tony to regain control over himself. Eventually, Tony slapped his hands on the table in front of him as if the table were holding him up from the uproarious bout of laughter.

After another minute or two of Tony laughing and Steve staring awkwardly, Tony straightened up and wiped his eyes. He was wearing the biggest grin which annoyed the crap out of Steve.

“Is that it? Jesus, I thought you were going to tell me someone died.” Tony picked up the device again before spinning around to face one of the consoles. He chuckled a bit more before sighing to himself from laughing so hard.

Steve scrunched up his face. “Are you serious? This isn’t upsetting to you?” He couldn’t believe he was the only one who thought the idea of the two of them sleeping together looked scandalous.

Tony twisted around; he was still grinning with one eyebrow raised.

“Rogers, who cares? I’ve had so many rumors said about me, ones far worse than this one, and I’m more or less fine.” Steve could tell Tony was trying to assuage his feelings with another smile, but it didn’t work.

“Tony. This makes me look worse than you.” Steve attempted to explain further, but he felt sick to his stomach. Suddenly, and irrationally, part of him began to think that _maybe_ Tony had led Obadiah, and god knows who else, to believe they were sleeping together. Yet, Steve quickly forced the theory out of his mind; what would be the benefit of that?

“Rogers.” Tony placed the device down on a table before rounding it to walk over toward Steve. He stopped a few feet in front of him.

“You and I both know this isn’t true. Others know this isn’t true. So, one jerk thinks they know everything. Who the fuck cares?” He was now leaning up against the table and staring intensely at Steve. Steve felt uncomfortable which caused him to shrug a little. He was beginning to feel silly for getting so upset.

“Who’s this culprit who’s gotten you all up in a tizzy, Rogers?” Tony asked, resting his hands on his hips, finally acknowledging Steve’s uneasiness.

Steve was cautious of adding to the tension between Tony and Obadiah, but he couldn’t lie to Tony either.

“Uh, well. It was Obadiah…” Steve rocked back and forth on his heels looking downward again as he heard Tony groan.

“Fucking figures. Obie’s a cad. He likes to stir shit up. You know that.” Tony shifted a bit but was clearly agitated by Obadiah’s antics.

Steve only nodded but remained silent; he wasn’t sure what to say without sounding like a total idiot. Now he felt extremely silly and was sure he wasn’t hiding it well, but either Tony wasn’t aware or chose to ignore it.

_I can’t believe I got so worked up about this. _Steve scolded himself.

“Look, Rogers. I can tell why you would be apprehensive about something like this.”

Tony’s voice had grown quieter. He was crossing his arms, looking stern, but his expression managed to retain some softness. Steve tried to calm himself down as he listened to Tony.

“Two conventionally attractive people hanging out with each other, yeah people are going to let their imaginations fly. Some have the decency to keep it to themselves.”

Tony stared at Steve for a minute longer before pushing himself away from the table. Steve watched him walk over to one of the consoles.

“If you let something like this bother you, the rest of your life will be even more difficult. Trust me.” Tony continued with his back facing Steve.

Steve made a small noise of strained agreement which prompted Tony to turn around somewhat.

“Don’t worry about it, okay? It’s more hilarious than anything else.” Tony grinned before motioning toward the device on the table. Steve nodded as if he understood the sentence and the gesture.

“Is this why you were avoiding me the rest of the night?” Tony asked casually, turning to face a projection above the console.

Steve winced. He had figured maybe Tony didn’t care or hadn’t noticed he was avoiding him after his conversation with Obadiah.

“Well, I was a little embarrassed to say the least…” Steve sorely confessed.

Tony chuckled, but it didn’t sound as jovial as usual. He glanced quickly at Steve before returning to his work.

“I’m sorry you felt that way.”

To Steve, Tony sounded hurt, but then he told himself he must have imagined it. He wasn’t sure what else he could or should say to his lab partner; he felt super uncomfortable for getting so worked up and figured it was probably best to just let it go. And Tony was right, he was a capable team member and people like to stir up drama all the time.

“Sorry for causing a fuss about it.” Steve offered meekly before picking up the device.

“Like I said. Don’t worry about it, Rogers.” Tony kept his back to Steve as he continued working.

* * *

_Next weekend…_

It was the day of Steve’s graduation and Tony had spent the entire morning trying to figure out what to wear to look like he hadn’t spent the entire morning figuring out what to wear. As he shuffled through outfit to outfit, he kept replaying his chat with Steve from the beginning of week. Something about it bothered him; was it so bad to think people possibly thought that they were sleeping together? Tony intellectually knew why Steve was concerned, but emotionally he felt hurt.

_I’m not that horrible, am I?_ Tony thought to himself as he held up shirt after shirt, not really looking at himself in the mirror.

He didn’t have to be present during the conversation at the event to know Obadiah was trying to use Steve against him. That part should have been the most upsetting revelation. But something about Steve practically losing his shit over the idea they would end up in bed together bothered Tony to no end. He had been completely fixated on it since that morning and could barely focus on anything else.

_I guess Bruce was wrong. _Of course, Steve wasn’t interested in him. Why would he be?

“Tony!” But luckily, Peter’s cheerful voice rescued him from further misery.

Tony turned around and kneeled to look slightly upward at the nine-year old.

“Tell me which shirt I should wear.” Tony grinned as he held up two different shirts for Peter to look at.

Peter stepped back, mimicking a thoughtful pose he had seen both Tony and Bruce do many times before answering.

“I like the stripped one!” Peter exclaimed, pointing to the shirt on the left.

Tony didn’t actually like the shirt Peter had picked but he made of show of being grateful for the help.

“See, this is why I keep you around, Parker. Is Rhodey here yet?” Tony asked, making sure Peter didn’t see him looking distastefully at the stripped shirt as he straighten up to study it.

Peter held up his Tony Stark original wristwatch. “Not yet. I have ten more minutes.”

Tony smiled down at Peter. “Okay, then finish breakfast as you wait.” He motioned for the nine-year old to head out of the bedroom to the kitchen. Peter sighed before breaking out into a mad dash toward the kitchen.

“And don’t run, please! Or I’ll sell that robot you made for parts!” Tony called after.

He turned to face the mirror with the stripped shirt. The more he looked at it, the less ugly the shirt appeared. Tony shrugged as he proceeded to change. He then joined Peter in the kitchen to wait for Rhodey.

* * *

“Hey! I think that’s Tony Stark!”

Tony had his sunglasses on as he walked through the Morningside Campus of Columbia University. He waved at the student who recognized him but briskly quickened his pace to avoid getting caught signing autographs.

“That was Tony Stark! And he waved at me!” The student loudly exclaimed to his group of friends.

Tony had hoped he would be able to lie low during the graduation, but of course being at a university someone was bound to recognize him.

“Hey, Tony! Over here!” Tony heard a familiar voice shout his name.

_Okay, now I’m definitely going to get stuck signing autographs. _Tony whined to himself.

He turned around to see Sam standing at the top of the steps to Low Library, waving at him before turning to talk to someone. Tony walked up the stairs to join the pair.

“Tony! I’m glad you made it.” Sam clapped Tony on the back as he approached. He then pointed to the man standing next to him. Tony turned to greet him, yet instantly, he felt uneasy about meeting whomever this was.

“Tony, this is Bucky. Steve’s friend from when they were kids.” Sam motioned toward Bucky with his hand still on Tony’s back. Tony grinned, reaching out his hand to shake Bucky’s, but Bucky appeared hesitant.

“Nice to meet you, Bucky.” Tony offered coolly.

Bucky grinned as he finally accepted Tony’s handshake. It was a bit on the too firm side, but Tony didn’t let it show.

“Nice to finally meet you too, Mr. Stark.” Bucky greeted with a slight edge in his voice that was not lost on Tony.

“Please,” Tony held onto Bucky’s hand through a very awkward handshake, “just call me Tony.”

Usually more perceptive, Sam missed the entire exchange between Tony and Bucky as he whipped out the graduation program to study.

“Okay, so here’s everyone’s ticket.” Sam handed both Tony and Bucky theirs. “We should sit down and wait. After the ceremony, we should try to get Steve to take some photos before grabbing a drink somewhere.”

Bucky snickered as Tony chuckled. They quickly glanced at each other before facing Sam.

“What are you going to do, tie Rogers down?” Tony added with a grin. He was standing too close to Bucky at this moment, trying to sound as lighthearted as possible.

Bucky waved his hand with a grin. “Hopefully it won’t come to that, but he’ll play nice since it’s his graduation.”

Tony looked at Bucky and nodded. On top of still feeling hurt that Steve probably wasn’t into him like he had thought, now he was feeling a tinge of jealousy brought on by Bucky’s otherwise straightforward statement. He had gotten to know Steve pretty well since launching Synergy, but that would never seemingly compare with his relationship with Bucky. And something about it irked Tony.

The three of them took their time walking over to the commencement area reserved for the law school and chatted a bit before the ceremony started. Tony learned more about Steve’s military service and heard some personal stories. The ceremony itself was a little too long, but it was nice being a part of something memorable for his lab partner, even if Tony hadn’t known him for that long.

After the ceremony, they found Steve speaking with one of his professors. He waved at them as soon as he spotted them. With a handshake, Steve greeted Tony first.

“Thanks for coming, Tony.” Steve smiled the way he usually did at Tony which made Tony’s heart melt.

Tony grinned as he shook Steve’s hand, aware of how flirtatious his gestures could be in front of Bucky.

“Of course, Rogers. I wouldn’t miss embarrassing you.” Before Steve could ask for an explanation, Tony side stepped next to him, pulled out his phone, and snapped a picture of the two of them. He had his hand around Steve’s waist, instinctively pulling him tight.

“Tony…” Steve whined, but never backed away.

Sam laughed loudly at Steve’s expense, but Bucky only smiled a little, as if he were unimpressed.

After Tony snapped another picture, Bucky clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention.

“So, we should go get a super late lunch. Then I’m thinking we should grab a drink after. Anyone else?”

Sam nodded. “Sounds good to me! Tony can you join?”

“Yeah, I’m down.” Tony offered casually as he unhooked himself from Steve to slide his hands into his pants pockets.

Sam and Bucky began debating with each other over which place they should have lunch. Steve stopped Tony by gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

“If you have to get back to Peter, I don’t mind, Tony.” Steve whispered as he drew nearer.

Tony smiled, telling himself not to take a hold of Steve’s hand. He turned to face him.

“And miss out on Steve Rogers stories from before we met? Yeah, I got it covered. Rhodey’s with him.”

Steve smiled before removing his hand. “Great.”

Tony was still smiling back at Steve but now he was sure he had a stupid grin on his face. Okay, maybe Bruce was right after all.

“Hey! Let’s get Cap into some normal clothes and eat!” Sam, standing several feet away with Bucky, was holding his hands to his mouth to project his voice.

Tony glanced at Steve with a grin before patting him on the shoulder, taking advantage of the opportunity to rub it a little, but not too much.

“Uh, Mr. Stark?”

_I knew I would get caught signing autographs. _Tony groaned to himself, now annoyed that someone was yet again interrupting a moment with Steve.

Tony sighed before mustering up a genial expression he usually saved for fans. He turned around to face whomever had addressed him.

“You look busy…” Tony stood looking downward at a student who was holding a notebook with the Stark Industries logo plastered on it. She looked meekly at Steve before looking back at Tony.

“…but may I quickly get your autograph?” The student held her notebook out open for Tony to sign.

Tony could see Steve smiling at him out of the corner of his eye. Although he was trying to get off the campus as quickly as possible to celebrate with Steve, Tony couldn’t pass up such a polite request.

“Sure. What’s your name kid?” Tony asked, taking the students notebook and pen with a more genuine expression.

“Riri. Riri Williams.” The student answered quickly before straightening up as Tony continued smiling at her.

“Nice to meet you, Riri.” Tony began scribbling down a message in her notebook, “what do you study?”

Being addressed by Tony must have given the student the hugest wave of confidence.

“Mechanical engineering.” She answered, now grinning.

Tony grinned back, finishing his message before he fished a business card out of his pants pocket.

“Look me up when you finish here.”

He handed the student the card with the notebook. The student looked like she had just been entrusted with the holy grail.

“Uh, thanks, Mr. Stark!” Trying her hardest not to sound overly excited, but the appreciation was evident.

Steve continued to smile at Tony as they were left alone again. Tony turned to look at him, making a face.

“What?” Tony shrugged.

Steve shook his head with a little laugh. “That was really nice of you, Tony.”

Tony scoffed before walking ahead of Steve to follow Sam and Bucky.

“Yeah, I can be pleasant sometimes, Rogers.” He turned his head somewhat to address Steve with a grin before Steve caught up with him.

* * *

After eating, the group went to a bar that wasn’t too far away from the restaurant. They ended up running into some members of Steve’s graduating cohort and professors, turning the small gathering into a larger informal graduation party.

“So, did you get another date yet, Sam?”

Bucky was smirking at Sam as he drank out of his beer glass. He was standing near Steve who was standing close to Tony at the bar counter. Sam flanked the end facing the rest of the group. Tony perked up as he looked over at Sam who went completely silent.

“We just had a dinner that’s all, Buck…” Sam answered softly, already looking embarrassed.

Steve inched closer toward Tony. He was basically leaning on him.

“Sam went out on a date—”

“Come on, Steve! It was just dinner.” Sam huffed.

Steve smirked. “—had _dinner_ with Shuri, who know, T’Challa’s sister.”

“Our vibranium guy? No shit?! Nice, Sam!” Tony reached over to clap Sam on the shoulder.

“How did you two meet?”

Sam shuffled back and forth on his feet. “At this design expo thing…I didn’t realize who Shuri was until we had dinner.” He added meekly.

Tony shook his head with glee. “Shuri’s awesome, Sam. I’m thinking about asking her to work at Stark Industries, if she wants to, of course.”

Sam shrugged, but he seemed like he was easing up a bit. “Yeah, she’s great.”

“Jesus, Sam. Let me buy you a drink.” Bucky looped an arm around Sam’s shoulder as he pulled him over to the counter.

As soon as they were left alone, Tony scooted closer toward Steve.

“Why didn’t you tell me Sam went out with Shuri?”

Steve chuckled. Tony had noticed that Steve remained still the closer he scooted.

“It just happened this past week, Tony. Why? Is this going to affect Sam’s security clearance?” He joked.

Tony shook his head with a grin. “No, but I thought we weren’t keeping secrets from each other, Rogers.” He teased back.

Steve gazed at Tony; his expression was soft and inviting, making Tony wished they were somewhere more intimate.

“What? You want me to text or call you right away whenever something happens?”

Tony took a sip out of his beer before nodding his head. “Or you can email me. I know it’s tough with your dumb phone, but I can make it easier for you with a Stark phone.”

Steve chuckled, which made Tony’s heart leap a few times. “You may get a virus from me, or however it works.”

That stupid grin crept up once again on Tony’s face, but he really couldn’t do anything about it.

“You’re not entirely wrong, but I can teach you a few things—uh, er, on a smart phone.” The statement sounded a lot more suggestive than Tony had originally intended, but it seemed to play well with Steve.

Steve looked to be considering it, but before their shameless flirty could go any further, Tony heard Bucky call for Steve.

“Hey, Cap! Come over here for a sec.” Bucky was motioning with his beer glass.

Steve smiled at Tony as he patted him on the shoulder before walking over to Bucky. Tony watched Steve leave, frustrated that another moment had been interrupted, and this time by Bucky. He scanned the bar, spotting Sam talking to one of Steve’s professors. He figured maybe he could ask Sam about Steve and Bucky. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, right?

Tony waited for Sam to finish his conversation before walking over toward him. He patted Sam on the shoulder.

“Sam, you’re one of Roger’s best friends, right?” Tony motioned for Sam to inch closer toward him away from everyone else at the bar. Sam took notice of Tony’s anxiousness, but played along.

“Uh, yeah, I suppose that’s correct.” Sam joked as he mimicked Tony’s cagy behavior by also glancing around awkwardly.

“Um, what’s your read on Bucky?” Tony had a hand on Sam’s back as he whispered.

Sam scrunched up his face. “My read? What do you mean?”

Tony sighed. He knew he was going to have to really work for it. He could tell that Sam had already picked up on his real question. He felt so juvenile for even asking about Steve and Bucky’s relationship, but he couldn’t ask Steve. Asking Bucky seemed more puerile than asking Steve, so that was also out of the question. Sam was the only one of Steve’s closest friends who seem to be the most neutral and Tony felt the most comfortable asking, even though he felt like he was in high school—

“They’re not dating, you know.” Sam cut to the chase as Tony was consumed with his thoughts.

Tony blinked a few times. His mouth popped open and shut close a few times as he struggled to figure out what to say. Sam only chuckled, but he was kind about it.

“You were going to ask me if Steve and Bucky are dating, right? They’re not, not to my knowledge anyway. And I don’t think they ever have. Steve treats him like a brother than anything else. Also, Steve…” Sam trailed off a bit, but Tony picked up on it.

“Steve what? Also, Steve what?” Tony finally remembered how to speak as he nearly grabbed Sam.

“Ugh, I really shouldn’t get into the middle of it.” Sam looked around before returning to directly face Tony.

He sighed with a dramatic eye roll. “Steve talks about you _all_ the time.”

Tony’s eyes lit up. This was more than he was hoping for. “Really? I mean, uh…you mean because of Synergy, right?”

Sam rolled his eyes again. “No, I mean, any time anything in conversation remotely relates to you, Steve manages to bring you up somehow. Nowadays he’ll just tell me something about you without even any context.”

Tony had to prevent himself from losing his shit with jubilation, but Sam saved him.

“Like I said, I don’t want to get into the middle of it, but I wouldn’t worry about Bucky.” Sam smirked before clapping his hand on the back of Tony’s back. He then walked over to where Steve and Bucky were standing. Tony looked over and saw that Steve had quickly glanced over to smile at him while he was in a conversation with one of his classmates.

Tony’s expression turned coy. He shuffled around shyly, before making his way over to join the group.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

“So, why didn’t you tell me about you and Tony, Steve?”

Bucky and Steve were standing out on the balcony attached to Steve and Sam’s apartment. The space was more of a little extension, part of an old fire escape, but Steve and Sam often hung out on the extension on warmer days during the year.

Both friends were leaning up against the railing. Bucky was holding a half-empty bottle of beer, while Steve was drinking a glass of water. After hanging out at the informal graduation party at the bar with Tony, the three friends went back to the apartment in Brooklyn to capitalize on Bucky’s visit before he left in the morning to finish the rest of his tour.

“I don’t know what there’s to say, Buck.” Steve lowered his voice as he answered, a little self-conscious that Bucky had been so blatant.

Bucky chuckled, but his tone sounded sympathetic. “Okay, then what’s with all of the updates I’ve been getting from Sam?” He turned slightly to face Steve.

Steve noticed that his friend’s usual content disposition had slowly morphed into a look of concern.

“I love hearing from Sam, but it would be nice to hear updates about Steve Rogers from the man himself.” He motioned toward Steve with his beer before drinking out of it.

Steve sighed; he knew this was going to become an issue during Bucky’s visit. Steve had hoped he would figure out the best thing to say to Bucky about his recent absence before his best friend arrived in town, but he was at a lost. Steve had been so busy with Synergy and trying to comprehend his feelings for Tony that he had neglected his friendship with his oldest friend. The two used to call each other at least once a week, but the last few months had been filled with infrequent updates and consistent failed scheduled phone chats.

“I miss you, Steve. We used to talk all the time. Now I never hear from you…” Bucky sounded hurt which made Steve feel terrible.

Steve shuffled a few times on his feet before answering. “I miss you too, Bucky. I’m sorry.”

He took a minute before continuing. “I don’t really like talking about whatever is going on between me and Tony because…well…I’m not entirely sure if he’s really interested…”

Bucky perked up. “He came to your graduation today. Also, Sam said something about the two of you sleeping together—”

Steve groaned. “We’re not sleeping together, Bucky. Someone thought we were.”

Bucky huffed. “Okay, so the fact that someone said that makes me believe they _also_ noticed he’s into you.”

Steve groaned again, loudly, feeling his friend pat him on the back. Bucky chuckled.

“Steve, Jesus. Just go for it. What do you have to lose?”

Steve winced at Bucky; he was sure he looked dumfounded.

“Go for it?”

“Yeah, so what if he’s not interested?” Bucky shrugged before continuing.

“You want to spend your whole _entire_ life wondering if you missed out on something? I know I wasn’t Tony’s biggest fan when you started this thing, but I saw the way he was with you today, and I can tell he likes you.” He pointed at Steve. “And vice versa.”

Bucky patted Steve on the shoulder again as Steve mulled over his friend’s advice. Before the beginning of his last relationship, Steve had taken his time and almost didn’t ask Peggy out. Usually, he was never the type to rush into things, but he was also concerned he would miss out on something that had the potential to be something special if he continued being cautious toward Tony. Yet, he wasn’t sure how to balance his more reserved personality with dating effectively. However, perhaps taking a new approach wouldn’t hurt.

“Maybe you’re right.” Steve sighed.

Bucky laughed. “I’m always right, Steve.” He half hugged Steve with his free hand.

Steve eased as his friend hugged him. He turned slightly to fully embrace Bucky. “Love you, Buck.”

“Love you too, Steve.” Bucky answered through the hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Trying to get myself to engage more than just posting and leaving it. :p So my apologies...I'm nervous about being annoying! But I also wanted to thank everyone who's been reading so far, you all make my day :)
> 
> P.S. I feel like I have two types of friends: the one who is overly supportive (Sam) and the one who is just a little suspicious because they don't want you to get hurt (Bucky).


	12. Chapter 12

The last few weeks had taken their toil and the team was feeling the burn, so to speak. Their huge board presentation was coming up the following week to simulate the Synergy device and no one was looking forward to it. However, to preserve everyone’s sanity and rebuild morale, Thor had invited the team and their significant others and friends over to his place for quite a lively party.

To say that Thor had an interesting place, would be a disservice to Thor and his place. Any visitor would have certainly believed they had been transported to a Viking lodge; it would have been tough to debate whether Asgard were a myth after experiencing such a set up.

Steve had certainly thought so. Besides being overwhelmed by the setting, he had been seized by an especially intense conversation with Thor which involved a retelling of his usual hobbies. As the story progressed, Steve could no longer tell if its narrator was a fellow human being or the Norse god himself.

“There I was—just the clothes on my back—completely unaware of my surroundings. My lucky hammer was my only companion...”

Steve couldn’t help but be entranced by Thor’s storytelling, although he made a face at the phrase “my lucky hammer”. He watched the blond giant wave his arms around as he told Steve about his last camping trip.

“Fortunately, my dearest Jane managed to find me. I don’t know where I would be without her. She had our compass!” Thor gave Steve the heartiest laugh from his otherwise banal story. He then slapped Steve on the shoulder.

Steve nearly choked from the slap, but he couldn’t help but laugh with Thor. “I’m glad she found you.”

Thor’s laughter subsided as his attention was caught by something out of the corner of his eye.

“And this is my brother, Loki!” Thor clapped the shoulder of a shorter, but thinner looking man who had walked past their huddle. He winced as soon as Thor grabbed him and practically forced him against his side.

“Nice to meet you…Loki?” Steve hadn’t meant for the greeting to sound like a question, but similar to when he met Thor for the first time, he was confused by the choice in nickname, because surely “Loki” was not Thor’s brother’s real name.

Thor noticed Steve’s apprehension and chuckled. “When we were children, everyone referred to us as Thor and Loki. My brother is quite the trickster!” Thor slapped his brother’s shoulder once more before Loki finally reached out his hand to greet Steve.

“Nice to meet you.” Loki responded with a sly smile. Something about it felt strange, but Steve couldn’t quite place it.

Loki broke away from Thor’s grasp as he straightened himself out. “My brother isn’t aware of how strong he is. Fortunately, he has other positive qualities. _Very_ few, but they’re positive, nonetheless.” He leered at Thor then at Steve.

Steve nodded, but with a strained smile; although he and Bucky often poked fun at each other in front of their friends, they never had as viciously as Loki did to Thor.

“So, what do you do?” Steve asked as he tried to process what he found off about Loki.

Loki shrugged. “I’m also at Stark Industries.”

Steve curiously tipped his chin upward. Stark Industries had thousands of employees, so he knew he would never meet every single one, but he thought he would have at least met Thor’s brother before now.

“Oh, well. I had no idea.” Steve attempted casually, hoping he hadn’t offended Loki.

Loki waved him off with an unsettling grin. Steve made a mental note to himself to ask Tony about it when he finally got a chance to escape Thor.

“Don’t worry about it.” Loki responded.

“So, I’m very much enjoying myself!”

Steve didn’t have to wait long to be recused by his lab mate, who had come from behind to invade the huddle. Tony had suddenly appeared with both hands on Steve’s shoulders, squeezing before letting go.

Tony immediately noticed Loki as he crammed himself into the huddle. “Loki! Long time, no see!” He practically shouted, shaking Loki’s hand vigorously. To Steve, Tony sounded like he was already tipsy.

Tony then wrapped a hand around Steve’s shoulders before making a move to lead him away from Thor and Loki. Steve sighed to himself with relief; he had become uncomfortable around Loki, trying to figure out where he might have seen him before.

“Rogers, let me get you a drink.” Tony offered before waving back at Thor and Loki.

Steve leaned into the half hug as he whispered. “Tony, I don’t want to sound paranoid, but—”

“Yeah, I don’t trust him either, Rogers. I’ve got Pepper on it.” Tony answered him with confidence as if he could read Steve’s mind.

Steve looked at Tony suspiciously, but then regained himself. “This could be serious, Tony.” He responded as they reached the other side of the den where Thor had a huge built-in bar. Natasha and Clint were standing at the counter, chatting.

Tony stopped Steve before they reached the bar. “Trust me. I’m_ aware_ of how serious the situation is, okay? This isn’t my first rodeo, Cap.”

He grinned as he patted Steve on the chest, dragging his hand downward a bit. Steve blushed, but didn’t pull away, although he was a little annoyed that Tony had taken so easily to calling him “Cap” recently. Tony kept grinning before turning around to address Natasha and Clint.

“Shots?” Tony asked in the most polite tone with his arms out stretched.

Clint nearly jumped out of shoes as Natasha rolled her eyes. “I’m game!” Clint nearly exclaimed.

Tony clapped his hands as he pointed to Natasha. “Romanov?”

Natasha shook her head. “None for me but knock yourselves out.”

Tony made a whiny noise, stamping his feet, before he inched closer toward the bar to grab a bottle of tequila.

“Rogers, is it fair for me to assume that you’re lame as well?” He sneered at Steve before turning to pour two shots.

Steve walked over to rest near Natasha. “I’m good.”

Tony grinned at the two of them before grabbing the bottle and more shot glasses. “Suit yourselves. Barton, let’s interject some debauchery into this party, shall we?” He motioned for Clint to follow him over to where others were gathered.

Natasha sighed as she settled next to Steve. “How’s your night so far?”

Steve glanced at her and smiled. He had enjoyed getting to know Natasha; she was just as level-headed as him, if not more, and he knew he could always count on her.

“I think it’s fine. You?” He answered with a kindhearted smile.

Natasha grinned before crossing her arms. She looked across the room to where most people were congregated. Steve followed her gaze, noticing immediately that she was looking in Bruce’s direction.

“Fine, but it could be better.” She answered slowly. Steve watched her shuffle about. He had never seen her so tense before.

“You know, Dr. Banner is great. Tony seems to really appreciate having him around at work and helping out with Peter.” He offered, attempting not to make it obvious he was prying into her dating life, although he was failing tremendously.

Natasha huffed with a reserved laugh. “I know. That’s why I think he’s great, too.” She added with a meek smile.

Steve nodded, but kept silent for a minute before continuing.

“My best friend told me recently that you should just go for something if you want it. What do you have to lose?” The words felt surreal as soon as he uttered them.

Natasha squinted at Steve before her face relaxed.

“Maybe the two of us should follow that advice.” She grinned, simultaneously kind while letting Steve know she too was on to him and his relationship woes.

Steve blushed, but before the conversation could go any further, Clint was in the front of the den at the karaoke machine. He had begun singing the first lines to The Rolling Stone’s “Wild Horses”. Natasha smiled at Steve before she motioned for him to join everyone as they sang along with Clint. Steve settled next to Sam who had been talking to Thor, spotting Tony hanging onto Bruce, both singing along way too loudly. Natasha walked over to stand next Bruce; they looked at each other, both half-smiling at the other before focusing on Clint’s passionate performance.

After the karaoke ended, the gathering dispersed into smaller groups. Steve and Sam sat down on a couch near the middle of the space. Tony strolled over to sit next to them.

“Okay, I’m heading home, Cap.” Sam drained his beer before getting up to retrieve his jacket. Steve made a move to join him.

“Don’t tell me you have to leave too, Rogers.” Tony joined them standing.

Steve looked at Sam who shrugged. “Yeah, why don’t you stay?”

“I’ll make sure you get home in one piece, Rogers.” Tony offered, verging on the edge of flirty. Steve wasn’t sure how to interpret it, but he figured he owed his team another hour or so.

“Okay, why not.” Steve answered as casually as possible.

Sam smirked at Steve before turning to leave. “Don’t have_ too_ much fun, Cap.” He patted Steve on the shoulder while sporting that goofy grin. Steve knew what his friend was referring to but managed to not make a show of it, especially with Tony standing so close.

Tony patted Steve on the shoulder from behind before walking over to the built-in bar where Thor and Clint were in the process of pouring themselves some more shots.

Relatively speaking, the party had been tame up to that point until Thor began passing out glasses of his homemade concoction he called Jörmungandr. Everyone, except Steve, drank a glass or two (or three) of it. Whatever it was, however, had been more potent than what had been at the bar and it definitely showed.

At this juncture, Tony was alone with Bruce on the couch after Steve had gotten up to talk to Rhodey at the built-in bar. Tony scooted closer toward Bruce who looked miserable; it was obvious he was brooding over Natasha. But before beginning any useful conversation, Tony flinched with excitement as soon as Van Morrison’s “Caravan” began playing in the background, but he regained some semblance of seriousness through his drunken state to talk to his friend about his relationship problems.

“Just talk to her.” Tony started.

Bruce shrugged the saddest shrug Tony had ever witnessed. “No, Tony. I can’t.”

Tony exhaled with anguish, slapping his hands to his face, dragging them down slowly in the most dramatic fashion.

“I can’t believe you’re worse than me and my failure to properly court Captain Rogers!” Both Bruce and Tony made a face at one another before making sure Steve was out of ear shot. They peered over the couch to see that he was still talking to Rhodey before settling.

Bruce slouched in the couch. “I haven’t talked to her this entire night. She’s avoiding me.”

Tony shook his head as he picked up his drink. “You’re wrong. She’s _so_ into you. You got that too nerdy smart guy thing going on.” Tony had waved his hand around as if it magically demonstrated Bruce’s attractive personality.

“Tony. Thanks, but—"

Tony immediately interrupted Bruce by holding up one finger as he shouted “Rhodey!” as soon as he heard the lyric “…I shall reveal you” from “Caravan” playing on low volume. Over at the bar, Rhodey turned around from his conversation with Steve to call back.

“Turn it up.” Rhodey sang along.

“Turn it up!” Tony shouted back.

“Little bit higher.” Rhodey held one hand to his ear.

“Radio!” Tony called.

“Turn it up.” Rhodey sang once more.

“Turn it up!” Tony sang louder than before.

“So, you know…” Rhodey lingered, pointing at Tony.

Tony clapped his hands. “Radio!” He then turned around to face Bruce to continue their conversation. Bruce looked even more sad and confused than Tony had left him.

“—I know you’re just being nice.” But Bruce had barely missed a beat from Tony and Rhodey’s sing-along.

Tony twisted his body around so he could face Bruce more directly. “How about this,” he began, a bit wobbly from the Jörmungandr, “I’ll ask Rogers out if you ask Romanov.” He attempted to hold his arms outstretched with grin as if he had just easily figured out nuclear fusion.

Bruce scoffed. “Okay, Tony. You were all…,” he hiccupped, “…weird and awkward around Steve the first couple weeks.”

Tony slouched in the couch with his drink as he rolled his eyes. “Yeah, so? Relative to how long _I’ve_ known Rogers to how long _you’ve_ known Romanov, I’m doing ‘fine’.” He motioned with air quotes at the end.

“And!” Tony sat up straight, waving his drink around as he almost splashed some on Bruce, “Natasha was giving you eyes while Barton was singing!” He nearly shouted. Both Tony and Bruce made another face at each other before ensuring that Natasha was also out of ear shot of their conversation.

Bruce settled in the couch. “Speaking of which, I’m not fun.”

Tony slapped Bruce a little too hard in the chest with a backhand, hardcore rolling his eyes. However, Bruce barely flinched.

“Oh my god, Banner. You’re such a Debby Downer.”

“I’m just being realistic, Tony—” But before Bruce could finish his thought, Tony shouted “Rhodes!” as Van Morrison sang again “…I shall reveal you.”

Rhodey turned around to acknowledge Tony. Steve looked back and forth between the two as they sang along, amused by the scene.

“Turn it up.” Rhodey sang.

“Turn it up!” Tony drunkenly shouted.

“Little bit higher.” Rhodey repeated.

“Radio!” Tony clapped his hands.

“Turn it up.” Rhodey called back.

“That’s enough.” Tony pointed at his friend with delight.

“So, you know...” Rhodey pointed back at Tony.

“It’s got soul.” Tony tried to add smoothly, but it was clear that his excitement and the Jörmungandr had over ran his composure. He sunk down into the couch before stretching out his arm to point at Bruce.

“Sam, you know Rogers’s friend—not the friend he grew up with, his roommate—told me something that might mean I have a chance…” He slowly began. Bruce turned to give Tony an emphatic nod.

“…but it’s probably nothing.” Tony waved his statement off. He looked down at his half-empty drink, moping over his feelings for Steve. He sighed before switching the conversation to recent lab experiments.

Steve walked over to the couch as Tony was loudly explaining his latest project to Bruce. As he sat down, Tony immediately turned around, pulling him into a half hug. Steve half hugged him back.

“Rogers!” Tony exclaimed as if that were the first time he had seen him all night.

Steve gently detangled himself from Tony, but he was still holding on to him; Tony’s body felt like an oven.

“Tony, you _are_ hot.” Cluelessly unaware of how his statement could be taken out of context.

Tony smirked. “Glad you finally admitted it.”

Steve made a face once he connected the dots. He ran a hand through his hair as he laughed nervously.

“Uh, I mean temperature-wise.”

Tony continued to stare at him before giving him a quizzical look.

“Why aren’t you as drunk as I am right now?” He leaned forward as if the move would help him further investigate as to why Steve was the most sober person at the party.

But before he could respond, Tony interrupted him by calling over to Thor. “Hey, Thor!” He reached out over the table to grab his glass. “Pour Rogers—” he looked down at his glass as he struggled to remember what the cocktail was called, “whatever this is!”

Thor turned around from his conversation to address Tony. “It’s Jörmungandr!” He answered happily, holding the pitcher with the cocktail high up in the air.

Tony turned to Steve. His face was mere inches away. “Yeah, Your-mun-gandur, Rogers.” He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at Thor as he severely mispronounced Jörmungandr.

Steve was tempted, but he wasn’t sure if he should. Everyone who had whatever the drink was seemed completely out of it. Besides not a fan of drinking, Steve feared he might do or say something stupid around Tony.

Tony backed off as it became clear to him that Steve was hesitating. “Or not. I’m not going to pressure you, of course.” He smiled before turning back around to talk to Bruce.

“Oh, hey, Steve!” Bruce waved at Steve before turning to listen to Tony.

Steve considered it as he waved back at Bruce. What was the worst that could happen? He might end up feeling miserable in the morning, but maybe it would do him some good to let loose once in a while. Although he was sure Tony was only joking, he knew his lab mate would ensure that he would indeed get home in one piece.

Steve sighed with a grin before rising from the couch. “Okay, Thor. Pour me a glass of… Jörmungandr.” He took his time pronouncing the word as he marched up to Thor who, along with everyone else, cheered him on.

* * *

The rest of the night progressed as you probably already imagined. The team had their moments of bonding as Thor’s Jörmungandr exacerbated their specific personalities. Tony was watching Steve the entire night; completely transfixed, yet unable to do anything about it. When it came time for everyone to leave, Tony had managed to locate his lab partner in a spirited drunk conversation with one of Thor’s closest friends, Valkyrie, about which historical or mythical figure would be able to win in a melee.

Tony, who was quite drunk himself from the Jörmungandr, had figured it would be easier to have Steve stay over at his place before driving him home in the morning. He wasn’t planning on anything beyond that, really; he was honestly trying to make sure that Steve did get home in one piece, but it would be easier for him to do so if he slept a few hours first.

“Okay, let’s try standing up straight, shall we?” Tony chuckled as he held onto Steve before his lab partner toppled over. He gently pinned Steve up against one of the inside walls of the private express elevator in Stark Tower, resting a hand on the small of his back. Steve giggled; the usually moderate drinker was reeling from the number the Jörmungandr had done on his constitution.

“Tony, I’m good. Promise.” Steve managed to mutter although he had the silliest grin on his face. Tony only responded by chuckling some more, keeping his hand firmly in place.

“Let me just get you up to the penthouse, okay? You can pass out in one of the spare rooms.” Tony whispered with his own goofy smile as he felt Steve nestled his head on his shoulder.

“Yeah, okay, Rogers. I get that you’re cute and sweet even when inebriated.” Tony smirked, running a hand through Steve’s hair. The move had been initially innocent on Tony’s part, yet a grab at Tony’s wrist by Steve made it more suggestive.

Holding onto Tony’s wrist, Steve pulled him close. He slowly dragged his hand along Tony’s wrist to his shoulder then to his face, cupping his cheek gently. Tony inhaled sharply as Steve closed the gap between the two of them by moving his face closer toward his. Both men closed their eyes as Steve leaned downward to kiss Tony, drawing him nearer with his free hand while the other stroked Tony’s face.

Tony moaned quietly into Steve’s mouth as their kiss moved slowly. Tony’s hand that had been placed on Steve’s back was now on his waist before he slid it downward to rub Steve’s hip. Steve pulled Tony even closer, which caused Tony to rub a little against his leg. The kiss deepened between them before Tony broke away, somewhat surprised by the intensity.

“Steve…” Tony tried to push away from Steve, but Steve wouldn’t let go of his face. Steve pulled him closer again, nipping at Tony’s bottom lip.

Tony, in order to stop himself from kissing Steve back, placed a steady hand on Steve’s before freeing himself. This time he looked upward and stared intensely, trying to plead with Steve.

“Sorry…” Steve breathed out. He held still before sliding his hand away from Tony’s back to lean up against the side of the elevator.

They both stared at each other until the elevator stopped and the door opened. Tony shoved his hands into his pockets as he huddled into a corner, and Steve rubbed a hand through his hair. Tony swore underneath his breath as soon as he realized he had taken the employee express elevator and _not_ the private one. One of his employees entered the elevator with a heavy yawn before recognizing he was an elevator with Tony.

“Mr. Stark! It’s so great to see you. Late night, sir?” The employee looked back and forth between Steve and Tony, seemingly unaware that both were completely disheveled.

Tony tried to straighten up as best as he could. He looked over at Steve who looked on the brink of falling over.

“Uh, yes.” Tony mumbled. He coughed before crossing his arms. The rush of the elevator and the lingering feeling of Steve’s lips on his was making him feel nauseous.

_I’m never drinking again…_

The elevator reached another floor before it opened its doors again. The employee smiled cheerfully before exiting.

“Have a great night, Mr. Stark!”

Tony waved the employee off before rapidly pressing the “close door” button through a surge of desperation.

As soon as they were alone again, Tony coughed once more. Steve looked over at him out of the corner of his eye and smiled timidly. Tony felt like his heart was imploding, but there was no way he could take advantage of Steve; he wasn’t sure if this overly flirty Steve was a symptom of alcohol consumption or if it was a genuine feeling. Either way, he couldn’t risk it tonight, especially with their board presentation days away.

“Sorry, Tony.” Steve murmured, still leaning up against the wall.

Tony tried to look away from Steve but was failing miserably. He gave his tousled lab partner the once over, remarking to himself how hot Steve looked.

_This is such a bad idea_. Tony thought.

“It’s okay…” Tony finally let out. Even if Steve had just been all over him because he was drunk, wouldn’t that be a good sign? Tony considered it. He attempted to weigh the pros and cons, but Steve was making it difficult for him to focus.

“Tony…I hope this doesn’t ruin our working relationship…” Steve managed to get out; he genuinely sounded concerned.

Tony shook his head. He wanted Steve and here was the object of his affection practically confirming his feelings.

_Fuck it_. Tony finally decided.

“…I’m not usually like this—” Steve tried to explain but was soon interrupted by Tony lunging toward him and taking a hold of his face before planting the drunkest kiss on his lips. Tony felt Steve wrap his hands around his waist and squeeze him tightly.

They shuffled around a bit, both trying to get a hold of the other from how ravenous the kiss between them had become. As Steve massaged Tony’s back, Tony remembered they were still in the employee express elevator. He reluctantly pushed away from Steve but was still holding on to him, prompting a whiny noise from Steve.

“Yeah, I know, but we have to switch elevators to get up to the penthouse.” Tony smiled sweetly at Steve, caressing his cheek before dragging them to the opening of the elevator.

Tony punched the button to open the doors, nearly tripping and taking Steve down with him as they entered the corridor. As their kiss grew even more passionate, Steve made it difficult for them to get to the private elevator which was just on the other side of the corridor, but Tony didn’t mind. They made out for a minute or so outside of the elevator before Tony managed to drag them inside. Steve was all over him as Tony struggled to open up the fingerprint scanner for the tech to confirm his identity. He managed to get the print scanned as he pried himself away before returning to Steve.

“Am I allowed to say that this is really fucking hot?” Tony murmured as the elevator shot up to the penthouse.

Steve only answered with a pleased-sounding noise as he viciously attacked Tony’s lips. Steve backed Tony up against the elevator, his hands wandering everywhere along Tony’s body. Tony couldn’t think clearly; not only was he drunk, but he was also enraptured with how nice Steve’s lips felt against his own.

The elevator finally reached the penthouse and both Steve and Tony virtually fell out into the foyer as the doors popped open. Steve held onto Tony, gripping him tightly. Tony moaned even louder into Steve’s mouth, completely caught up in the moment. To regain some control, Tony placed his hands on both of Steve arms, trying to get him to slow down for a second.

“Um,” Tony laughed quietly before continuing, too amazed with what was happening, “would you like to go to the master bedroom?” He asked softly.

Steve nodded before breaking free from Tony’s grasp to place both hands on Tony’s face. He smiled downward at Tony before kissing him again which nearly caused Tony to melt all the way down into his shoes.

Tony smiled through the kiss as he managed to pull Steve toward his bedroom. He walked ahead of Steve, trying to get to the room as quickly as possible, yet too stunned to comprehend that he was finally going to be with his crush.

Tony entered the room first but was soon pulled over and down toward the bed. Both men fell on top the sheets together with Tony landing on top of Steve. He felt Steve feel the middle of his back as his forehead pressed against his neck.

“I'm not usually like this…” Steve repeated as he kissed Tony.

And, suddenly Tony had a moment of clarity.

Tony couldn’t help himself; Steve was all over him. But then he remembered why he had liked Steve in the first place. He _also_ remembered, as Steve kept feeling him through his clothes, the advice his friends had given him about taking his time when pursuing future relationships.

_This is a very bad idea_ _—_

“Tony…” Steve breathed into Tony’s neck as his hands continued to roam.

He felt Steve nestle his neck with the tip of his nose. Steve then pushed upward into his body and Tony wanted desperately to push back, feeling himself give in. Would it be so bad if they ended up sleeping together that night? When they had started making out, it seemed like more than a good idea, but then unfortunately, the cons of such a decision began to weigh heavily as Steve’s petting neared the point of no return.

Tony’s body went rigid as he pushed himself up and away from Steve, practically jumping off the bed.

“Nope, sorry. Can’t do it.”

Tony was talking to himself as he paced back and forth in front of the bed, eyes focused on the ceiling. He eventually stopped with his back facing Steve who was a hot mess on the bed.

“Tony, I-I’m sorry.” He sounded hurt.

Tony squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to be with Steve so badly, but he couldn’t do it like this. Steve wasn’t that type of person and Tony didn’t want to be with someone like that. Not anymore anyway. He had gravitated toward Steve because he was different, and Tony didn’t want that to change. He realized he wanted to wait and get to know Steve better than ruin anything between the two of them with meaningless sex.

Tony sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. He could hear Steve’s steady breathing.

“Steve…it’s okay—you’re doing nothing wrong…it’s me…I’m going to sleep in the office down the hall, okay? Just come and get me if you need anything.” He walked briskly out of the bedroom, nearly bumping into the doorframe, trying not to look back at Steve.

He couldn’t look back at Steve; he knew if he had he would have probably changed his mind and ruined their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear...can't possibly think of any misunderstanding resulting from this...
> 
> P.S. this may sound a little goofy, but I absolutely love writing the friendships between Tony, Bruce, and Rhodey and Steve, Bucky, Sam. They're all super unique and act accordingly to which ever relationship I'm working on. I just love them all so much. :)
> 
> Also, I said this in the notes last chapter, but I wanted to say it again for anyone who missed it: thank you to all of those who have been reading so far! Your comments, bookmarks, kudos, and subscriptions make my day :)


	13. Chapter 13

_The morning after…_

Steve’s body felt tight as he moaned softly.

“Tony…,” he whispered into the pillow he was clenching.

Steve let his body grind against the mattress and bunches of sheets for a bit, until he realized that this mattress smelled _too_ much like Tony. He sat up immediately, realizing he wasn’t at home in his apartment.

Steve glanced around, blinking rapidly as he tried to remember where he was, but the room didn’t look familiar.

“What in the world—?”

“Good morning, Mr. Rogers.”

Steve’s eyes widened with fear, terror, horror, dread, practically any synonym one could possibly think of as soon as he recognized J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice.

Steve sat rigid on the bed, too paralyzed to answer back. He tried to remind himself that J.A.R.V.I.S. was just a computer, but as the thought bounced around in his head, it brought him to the realization that he was in Tony’s bedroom.

“Am…I…in Tony’s bedroom…?” Steve asked weakly.

“Yes.” J.A.R.V.I.S. answered back.

“W-Where’s Tony?” Steve could hardly process what was going on.

“I have located Mr. Stark in his home office.” J.A.R.V.I.S. responded.

Reticent, Steve nodded as he hung his legs off the edge of the bed before finally rising. He looked around before exiting, realizing that he had no idea where Tony’s home office was, but he felt too mortified to ask. He took a deep breath before continuing.

“Uh, J.A.R.V.I.S., where’s Tony’s home office?” Steve asked, his voice trembling; he couldn’t wait to get out of Tony’s penthouse.

“Down the hallway, last door on the left.” J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

Steve nodded again before earnestly reminding himself that J.A.R.V.I.S. couldn’t see him nodding before heading toward the office. He walked slowly, trying to regain his balance. His head hurt a little, but he didn’t feel sick from Thor’s Jörmungandr. His queasiness was now contributed to passing out in Tony’s bed, having a sexy dream about him, and then waking up to rubbing himself against Tony’s mattress.

As soon as he reached the office, he breathed deeply once more; he wasn’t sure how he would find Tony and face him after waking up in his bed. As Steve took his time pushing the door open, he immediately spotted Tony passed out on the small couch in the middle of the office. He was snoring loudly on his back with his limbs sprawled out.

Steve lingered before approaching. Quickly, he thought it would be better to just leave and send Tony a text later, but he didn’t want Tony to take any offense to him leaving without saying goodbye. Steve scrunched up his face before crouching down near the couch. He hesitated before tapping Tony on the shoulder.

“Tony...” Steve whispered, almost like he had upon waking up mere minutes ago. The thought made him feel so stupid.

_Ugh, I should just leave._ Steve looked at Tony before shaking his head. He straightened up before turning around, but as soon as he moved to exit the office, Tony made a disgruntled noise.

“Rogers?” He called. Steve stood firmly in place, too ashamed to face Tony. He heard Tony shuffle around a bit.

“Jesus. That was a wild night.” Tony sounded harsh and weary, but Steve could tell that he was probably also grinning. He closed his eyes to steady himself before turning around.

“Please don’t tell me you were planning to leave without saying goodbye.” Steve looked downward to see Tony smiling up at him.

Steve shrugged. He tried to remain calm. “Uh, I thought I should just let you sleep.” He attempted with a half-hearted smile.

Tony chuckled. He ran a hand through his hair a few times before yawning loudly. “Well, don’t run off too quickly. Why don’t you stay for breakfast? I can make you an omelet. Peter’s aunt will probably drop him off around noon.”

Although Tony looked wrecked from the night before, Steve couldn’t help but stare. Then his dream popped back into his head.

Steve shook his head a few times. “Thanks, but I should be getting home.”

The content expression on Tony’s face deflated. “Okay, well, give me a few minutes, and maybe a shower, then I’ll drive you home.” He shuffled once more before rising from the couch. He straightened his clothes out before crossing his arms to grin at Steve.

Steve had to prevent himself from backing away; he wanted to stay, but he couldn’t face Tony. He felt too embarrassed by his dream and waking up in Tony’s bed, so there was no way he would feel comfortable staying. He needed to go home and regroup.

Steve shook his head again. “That’s okay. I’ll take the subway. Thank you, though.”

Tony nodded, but his expression had deflated even more.

“Okay, I’ll see you on Monday then…” He answered, his voice lowering.

“Yep.” Steve responded before practically spinning around on his heels to exit the room. He didn’t wait for Tony as he quickly marched to the elevator doors, pressing the button to the lobby a few times in a complete state of panic.

* * *

“Look who finally decided to come home.” Sam made a few catcalling noises and whistled as he entered the kitchen, spotting Steve hunched over at the kitchen table. Steve only slightly acknowledged his friend before sulking some more over a cup of coffee.

“Steve? Are you okay?” Sam sat down in front of him with his own mug.

Steve sighed. “I woke up in Tony’s bed this morning…” He began.

Sam smirked. “Okay, that’s how you do it nowadays.”

Steve scrunched up his face. He felt so miserable as he chewed over Obadiah’s accusation.

“No, we didn’t sleep together, Sam.”

Sam drank out of his mug before he answered. “Did you want to? Because you look upset.”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t remember what happened between leaving Thor’s party and waking up this morning…”

Ever since he left Tony’s penthouse, Steve had been trying to replay last night, but all the details were fuzzy. All he remembered was getting into an intense conversation with one of Thor’s friends about mythical or historical battles or whatever before waking up. The one thing he could remember, however, was his dream about Tony. Steve had woken up and fled in horror because he thought he had a dream about making out with Tony, and then, still thinking about it as he woke up, practically fondling Tony’s mattress.

“I think I had a dream about Tony last night…in the dream we…ugh…we were making out—then I remember waking up in his bed, alone…Tony was in his office…” Steve groaned as he buried his head in his arms on top of the table.

He straightened up suddenly as he continued. “I woke up thinking about Tony, you know…,” Steve made a few gestures with his hands as if that explained he had woken up to humping Tony’s mattress, “J.A.R.V.I.S. is also programmed in his room. Ugh. J.A.R.V.I.S., Sam?! I’m so embarrassed.”

Steve stopped rambling to look up at Sam who had uncomfortable expression on his face. Steve made a face at his friend.

“Sam? Aren’t you—”

But before Steve could finish his question, Sam broke out in a fit of laughter, slapping a hand on the table.

“Cap! You’re such a prude! You’re embarrassed that you woke up—alone, mind you—in Tony’s bed after having a dream—and not that dirty of one—about him, but nothing happened?” Sam chuckled loudly as he held his sides with his arms. Steve scrunched up his face; he got up from the table to wash his cup but mostly to get away from Sam.

“Sam, come on. What if he had walked in on me?” Steve huffed as he used too much soap, splashing water everywhere from how intense he was washing.

“But he didn’t. You could have gone your whole life without saying anything and no one would have known.” Sam sighed from laughing so hard.

Steve spun around away from the sink. “I probably did something else stupid at the party. Thor was passing out some cocktail he made after you left.”

Sam grinned. “Oh man! Sorry I missed that. But I’m sure you were fine. Was Tony weird around you this morning or did you sneak out?” He sneered at Steve who rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t sneak out. And no…he seemed fine. He asked me to stay for breakfast…and volunteered to drive me home, but I needed to get out of there…”

Sam scoffed. “Are you serious, Cap? You should have stayed. It’s so obvious he’s being polite like you like.” He got up from the table to head toward the living room, laughing loudly again.

“A dream!” Sam shouted through wild laughter.

Steve hung his head low before exiting the kitchen.

_Maybe I should’ve stayed…_

* * *

_That Monday…_

“So, how was _your_ weekend, Tone?” Rhodey was serving Tony the hardest grin as the latter walked into his Stark Industries office. Tony grimaced at Rhodey before sitting down at his desk.

“Rhodes, how did you get into my office?” Tony dropped his work bag on the floor as he slouched into his chair.

He was so annoyed, not really with Rhodey, but more with how terrible he felt since he last saw Steve. Making out with Steve had been so fucking hot and Tony thought he had made progress by not rushing things, but the way Steve had scurried out of the penthouse the morning after made him feel like a complete idiot.

Rhodey chuckled. “Pepper let me in.”

Tony only sighed loudly, more to himself than to Rhodey’s explanation.

“Damn, Tony. Okay, I won’t break into your office anymore.”

Tony inhaled as he covered his face with his hands. He peered through his fingers before lightly slapping his desk.

“No, it’s not that. I just had the shittiest weekend.”

Rhodey’s face twisted into a look of concern. “Really? I’m sorry. I thought when I hadn’t heard from you all weekend, something must have gone well with Steve.”

Tony sighed again. He rested his chin in one hand, elbow on the desk as he made a pouty face.

“No that didn’t go well at all. Well it did then it didn’t.”

Rhodey looked confused. “What happened?”

Tony inhaled then exhaled deeply. He felt so stupid for even bringing it up. Tony had spent his entire weekend replaying the night over and over, reassessing his moves, wishing he had stopped them both in the elevator.

“I made out with Steve when we got back to my place after the party…” Tony let the words drag out as he continued pouting at the desk.

Rhodey nearly jumped out of his chair with excitement before he settled with a grin.

“Tone! Nice work.” He slapped the desk.

Tony shook his head as he straightened up in his chair. “No, Rhodes. He basically ran out of the penthouse the morning after. Wouldn’t even let me drive him home.” Tony sank in his chair with grief.

“I messed up. You were right. I should have taken my time.” Tony slapped his hands against his forehead as he sank even lower into his chair; he was basically lying down in it with the upper half of his body in the seat.

Rhodey shook his head. “Tony. I don’t think you messed up. Based on your updates, I’ve been impressed actually with how well your relationship with Steve seems to be progressing—”

“And yet, he sprinted out of the penthouse like I was toxic waste.” Tony had turned his head to only retort his friend before looking upward at the ceiling.

“And _yet_, this is probably more on Steve than you. Maybe he was embarrassed? I don’t know him that well, but my conversation with him at Thor’s party suggested that he wasn’t the type to take things too casually.”

Tony turned his head again to stare at Rhodey. That could have been the case; Steve wasn’t really himself after he drank a few glasses of Thor’s Jörmungandr—actually, Tony remembered that Steve hadn’t appeared drunk until after glass four or five, while everyone else had been hammered after the second or third. But Tony was fixated on his own actions. He had come to accept that if he had cut them off in the elevator, Steve would have stayed. Now Steve probably thought that all Tony wanted from him was just sex.

“I don’t know, Rhodey…” Tony painfully responded.

Rhodey glanced at Tony before shaking his head. He leaned forward so that his forearms were on his thighs, hands crossed.

“Well you would know better than me, but don’t give up yet. Even if it doesn’t work out with Steve, you’ve seemed a lot happier lately. That’s something to be proud of.” He smiled at Tony.

Tony smiled weakly at his friend. He did feel a little less stressed lately since getting to know Steve better. His issues hadn’t gone away completely, but it was nice to have Steve distract him once in a while.

“I suppose that’s accurate…” Tony offered meekly, tapping his fingers on his desk. He swiveled back and forth in his chair, still practically lying down in it.

Rhodey smiled at him before getting up. He straightened out his military uniform before heading for the door.

“I gotta catch a flight, but are you good, Tone?” He offered before leaving.

Tony waved him off. “Yeah, I’ll see you at the simulation thing.”

Rhodey nodded back before closing the door. Tony sat up in his chair with his elbow rested on the desk, chin perched on top, pouting again. He pulled out his phone, tapped and swiped a few times until he found the photo he had taken of himself and Steve at the graduation, staring at it longingly for the hundredth time. He sighed heavily.

The more he thought about Steve, the more agitated he became. Tony shot up from his desk and headed for the door, thinking it would probably be better to let off some steam in the lab then moping over Steve all day.

* * *

_Later that week…_

“Commence simulation.”

The team busied themselves like clockwork around the arena.

Fury was standing on the landing from above with Obadiah, Pepper, and some board members standing directly behind them. The group was flanked by Agent Hill and Agent Coulson. Rhodey was at the very end of the railing, leaning over slightly to get a better view of the team.

“Okay, this is too cool.” Rhodey cooed. Everyone around him, except for Obadiah, nodded and murmured in agreement.

For the board presentation, Tony and Bruce had created a scenario in which the team needed to use the Synergy device to create a mobile medical clinic to save a few people from a car crash on an interstate highway.

Natasha and Clint ducked under and jumped over overturned cars, scanning the simulated victims of the crash for which equipment would be needed in the mobile clinic. Steve and Tony were inside the vehicle with Bruce and Thor, driving toward the scene of the crash.

“Okay, Banner and Thor,” Tony pointed toward Bruce and Thor, while Steve was driving, “you two stay in the vehicle and Rogers and I will meet Romanov and Barton outside.”

Both Bruce and Thor nodded at Tony. The three of them were sitting in the back of the mobile lab. After addressing Bruce and Thor, Tony took his time joining Steve in the passenger seat. He motioned toward the scene as Steve drove nearer.

“Drop us off over there, Rogers.”

Steve looked over at Tony with a nod, immediately noticing that something was amiss about his lab partner’s demeanor. Tony seemed agitated and a little nervous. However, Steve couldn’t quite process it; he was also having an off day. He was having trouble focusing on the simulation while still agonizing over his dream about Tony.

As soon as they reached the scene, Steve and Tony jumped out of the vehicle. They set themselves up somewhere near the crash but with enough space to generate specs for the equipment.

Steve peered over at Tony as he placed the Synergy device on the ground. Although he tried to not let his dream bother him, worrying about it had unfortunately translated into avoiding Tony a good part of the week until the day of the board presentation.

“Okay, we’re sending the first set to you now, Stark.” Natasha called in Tony and Steve’s earpieces.

Steve crouched down near the device as he readied himself. He had done this so many times that it finally felt like second nature to him, but obviously he couldn’t concentrate as well since he was so focused on the past weekend and Tony’s current behavior.

Tony calculated the equations then read the solutions to Steve who quickly entered them into the device. The device began generating spec by spec. Everyone on the railing, this time including Obadiah, gazed down, amazed with the vibrancy of the device.

Tony and Steve had a good rhythm going until some of the figures appeared miscalculated. Steve could only tell because the device’s usual exciting color glowed strangely, shaking uncontrollably with each input. He had encountered this as a possibility in the algorithm and knew that if he kept entering in incorrect information it might jam up the device.

However, Steve wasn’t sure what to do; calling Tony out would only give Obadiah a reason to commandeer the Synergy program away from him. Steve took a deep breath before scrolling through queued sequences from past simulations to correct some of the inputs to at least stop the device from shaking.

He heard Tony sigh heavily, signally he had realized he had given Steve some incorrect sequences. Tony took a moment to review his solutions before reading the rest of the figures.

As the device finally stabilized, it generated the rest of the specs as Natasha and Clint carried a couple simulated people to the mobile clinic. Thor and Bruce busied themselves with assembling the equipment.

Fury looked down at his wristwatch and smiled. “Like a well-oiled machine.” Referring to how effectively and swiftly the simulation was playing out.

Back in the simulation, Steve noted to himself, as he helped treat people in the mobile clinic, that Tony still looked apprehensive.

“Rogers! Help me over here.” Steve turned to see that Clint was calling for him, crouching near a simulated woman who was holding her side and writhing in pain.

As he slid across the clinic to assist Clint, Steve told himself to stop being weird and just talk to Tony. Maybe something personal was going on with his lab mate.

The team managed to treat everyone who was involved in the accident before Fury ended the simulation. Everyone on the landing, except Obadiah, clapped at the end.

“That was nice work.” Fury motioned behind himself at Agent Hill and Agent Coulson, both nodding sternly.

Rhodey clasped Fury’s shoulder. “I don’t think it could have gone any better.” He looked over at Pepper who was smiling.

The board members began murmuring to themselves as they shuffled around to exit the landing. Obadiah looked down at the team before leaving. Steve looked up at him and gave him a fake smile. Obadiah saluted him with a disingenuous grin before exiting with the others.

“We should go out and celebrate!” Clint was nearly bouncing back and forth with adrenaline.

Natasha nodded as she looked over at Bruce who smiled back shyly before desperately looking elsewhere. The team continued to congratulate each other, except for Tony who was in the process of leaving the arena. Steve watched Tony exit, waiting a minute or two before following him.

Maybe he was being ridiculous about the dream. Like Sam said, no one would ever know that he had dreamt about Tony or had fallen asleep in his bed. He reminded himself to get a grip and just go with the flow, let loose like Bucky had suggested.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Tony had been out of it during the simulation because he had decided earlier that week he would ask Steve out for dinner, and the idea was consuming him. He reminded himself of his conversation with Rhodey and figured that Steve was probably old school when it came to dating. Maybe a nice dinner—just as friends really, Tony was horribly aware of pushing his limits—would ease any tension between the two.

However, during a good part of the week before the board presentation, Tony had noticed that Steve was basically ignoring him. He had been going back and forth with himself, thinking that he probably shouldn’t ask Steve out for dinner. This mental entanglement was the reason why Tony thought he had trouble with the calculations during the simulation. Thankfully, Steve had been quick enough to keep the device from shaking uncontrollably while also covering his ass.

_I knew this would happen_. Tony sighed to himself, knowing full well that his obsession with his feelings for Steve would eventually affect his work.

_…but I was sure those calculations were correct…I can’t be losing my edge now…_

“How was the simulation, Sir?” J.A.R.V.I.S. asked as soon as Tony entered the lab.

Tony shrugged, pulling out his phone to check his messages. “Fine.” He muttered.

Tony had a few prototype phones in the works that he would occasionally alternate with the newest Stark phone as his personal phone to test for possible upgrades. His current model was the Stark X, a great phone with an awesome camera, yet equipped with a shitty battery life.

“Are you all right, Tony?” Tony felt a hand grasp his shoulder and rub it gently. He sighed before turning to face Steve.

“Don’t worry about me, Rogers. But you did a great job.” He smiled meekly, cutting to the chase. He could tell, however, that Steve wasn’t buying it.

Steve half smiled before turning to lean next to a table.

“Are you sure?”

Tony sensed that his lab mate wasn’t planning to let up on him, considering how terribly obvious it had been during the simulation that something was bothering him.

Tony sighed again before crossing his arms. “I’ve got a lot on my mind. But like I said, you did a great job. You handled yourself and everything worked out fine.”

Steve continued to stare at him with concern. Tony wanted to look away, but he couldn’t; something about Steve’s expression felt strangely cathartic.

“Everything okay with Peter?” Steve asked slowly, his tone clearly cautious.

Tony inhaled then exhaled. He appreciated that Steve was becoming more sensitive to his parental responsibilities—despite not having met Peter—but what was really on his mind _was_ Steve.

Tony nodded. “He’s fine. And it’s not Synergy-related either.” He quickly added. That seemed to convey to Steve that Tony didn’t want to address the issue any further.

Steve nodded without responding verbally. Tony took another deep breath, strangely finding enough courage to ask Steve out.

“Would, um…” All that practice in the mirror that morning and Tony just ended up forgetting how to speak normally. He glanced upward at Steve and shuffled around a bit.

“…would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night? There’s a place I’ve been meaning to try that’s over in your neck of the woods.” He looked downward at his shoes as he continued to fidget, just waiting for Steve to reject him like he had over the weekend.

“I would love to, Tony.”

Tony took his time looking directly at Steve. Not only had Steve accepted the invite, he looked grateful for it. Tony could hardly believe his eyes.

“…uh, great. Cool.” Tony answered awkwardly, trying to smile back without looking silly.

They both continued to stare at the other for a second or so before the rest of the team barged into the lab.

“Hey!” Clint exclaimed as he nearly ran into Steve. “We’re getting drinks!”

Thor, Natasha, and Bruce followed closely behind. Bruce walked up to Tony and clapped his back a few times with a goofy grin. Thor walked over to Steve and did the same, but Steve managed to hold his balance from Thor’s usual too force-filled greetings.

“A great friend of mine owns a place not too far away from here. Let’s celebrate there!” Thor exclaimed, practically hugging Steve.

Tony, snapping out of his intimate moment with Steve, wagged a finger at Thor with a sneer.

“Let’s hope we don’t have a repeat from your party, Thor.”

Thor laughed heartedly. Tony looked over at Steve who was smiling, seemingly fine at the mentioning of the party.

_Okay…?_ Tony thought to himself but grinned to mask how confused he felt by Steve’s behavior.

Having Steve agree to dinner with him had begun to subside any weird feeling he had about Steve practically rejecting him over the weekend, but now Tony was even more baffled than before with how Steve was currently acting. Tony told himself to push through it in order not to make a scene.

Everyone chatted for a bit before the group began heading out. Tony lingered, staying behind with Bruce and Natasha. He watched Natasha and Bruce walk toward the exit together; Bruce noticed before nearly jumping out of the way.

“Uh, sorry…” Bruce muttered, readjusting his glasses as he held out a hand, indicating that Natasha could pass in front of him.

“After you…” He offered clumsily.

She smiled back at him as she walked ahead. “Thank you, Bruce.” She answered in a low voice. Bruce could barely respond he was so entranced.

Tony grinned at Bruce as he walked up to his friend and clapped him on the back.

“Jesus, Banner.”

Bruce looked around nervously as he hung back with Tony behind the group before walking to the elevator.

Tony took a moment before faking a smile. “I’m having dinner with Rogers, so you need to ask Romanov out.” Tony smirked, yet nearly doubling over from the weird feeling about Steve.

Bruce sighed heavily. “Maybe…”

Tony slapped his friend on the back hard as they entered the elevator.

“There you go, Banner!”

“Wait, you asked Steve out?” Bruce, as he finally realized what Tony had said to him, turned to look directly at his friend.

Tony grinned a little. “I asked him for dinner, not sure if it’s really a date, but it’s a start.”

As the elevator door closed and flew down to the lobby, Bruce and Tony stood in silence, both too weird to really comprehend the travesties that were their respective dating lives.

As soon as the elevator reached the lobby, the doors popped open with Bruce walking out ahead of Tony.

“Huh. Who knew making out was the only thing you needed to break the ice with Steve?” Bruce pondered out loud almost as an unintentional joke.

Tony’s eyes widened as he realized his friends were once again talking about his dating life behind his back.

“Hey!” He ran out of the elevator to chase Bruce through the lobby.

“You need to keep that to yourself, Banner!”


	14. Chapter 14

_The following evening…_

After work, Tony settled on riding the subway with Steve. He was thinking about having Happy drive them or ordering a car, but he didn’t want to look spoiled. He thought about driving, but he knew he would need a cocktail or two to loosen up his nerves. Therefore, the subway seemed to be his best bet; he wanted to convey to Steve that he wasn’t some rich brat who spent money on frivolous things. If they ever started dating, however, Tony would _so_ spoil Steve, but he wanted to make sure Steve got to know him before being showered mercilessly with gifts.

They walked to the restaurant which wasn’t too far away from the subway stop, chatting about nothing really until they arrived. Tony had never been so nervous before about having dinner with someone, and it wasn’t like it was a date. Well, he wasn’t sure anyway; they still hadn’t verbally agreed on it. Yet, it did feel more than just two friends sharing a meal, so Tony took it as it was.

After settling at a table that was in the quieter part of the restaurant, Steve and Tony remained silent for some time. The atmosphere had changed, making the space between them more intimate. Tony wasn’t sure how to start the conversation back up without saying the wrong thing. He was afraid he would bring up everything that had happened after Thor’s party.

To Tony, however, it still felt as if Steve wasn’t bothered by the kiss. He wasn’t sure how to interpret it; Steve’s behavior over the last day and a half had appeared completely different from when he ran out the morning after the party. But Tony told himself not to be weird; if it came up, it came up. Right now, he was just having a nice dinner with a friend…

“How was the rest of your weekend after the party?” Steve asked before drinking out of his water glass.

Tony had to prevent his face from twisting into the most puzzled expression he had ever expressed.

_This had to be a joke, right?_

“Uh, would have been better if you had stayed for breakfast.” Tony tried for as facetiously as possible without grilling Steve.

Steve nodded a little. “I’m sorry for leaving so quickly,” he sighed before continuing, “I wasn’t feeling well from the party…”

Tony considered Steve’s obvious half-truth. Tony remembered Steve appearing completely fine in the morning despite having been a wreck the night before. Maybe he was trying to tell Tony that whatever happened between the two of them was a mistake? Then why would Steve have dinner with him? Maybe he felt sorry for him?

Tony grinned at Steve mostly to disguise how hurt he felt inside. Steve smiled back, seemingly unaware of the number he was doing on Tony’s sanity.

“That’s okay, Rogers. Maybe next time.” Tony mentally scolded himself for being so open with his last statement, but Steve continued to smile at him.

Thankfully, the conversation eventually morphed into something less tensed. They chatted a while until the waiter came by to take their orders.

“How’s Peter besides being fine?” Steve asked with a grin, waiting until they were alone again.

Tony perked up at the question. It should have been a good sign that Steve seemed interested in his personal life as it related to Peter, but Tony was still hung up on Steve not being completely honest with him.

“He’s good…we, uh, went to the New York Hall of Science Sunday. Thanks for asking. Rhodey’s watching him for me tonight.”

Steve nodded as he sipped out of his glass. “Oh, that’s nice. You really do have a great group of friends helping you out, Tony.”

Tony nodded. “Yeah, well, his aunt watches him mostly, but when she needs to work Rhodey usually helps out when he’s in town. Sometimes Bruce and Pepper are free.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you and Ms. Potts were close.” Steve responded. The statement sounded more factual than anything else, but Tony immediately clammed up.

“Uh, yeah,” he took a moment before continuing, “we used to date, but now we’re just good friends.”

Tony thought he was overthinking things, because something about Steve’s face caught him off guard; he looked somewhat dejected.

Tony wasn’t sure how to proceed. Should he continue? But before he could dwell on it any longer, his mouth had other plans as he began rambling.

“We broke up about a year ago. She was my last serious relationship. She was around when I adopted Peter, so they know each other pretty well. I’m actually surprised we’re on good terms now.”

Tony laughed quietly to himself at the last statement that was more of a thought than anything. Steve looked even more disappointed, but then Tony told himself not to get hung up on it as he tried to explain.

“I mean, I miss being with someone, you know, it’s nice having someone to come home to after work or whatever—.”

_Oh my god, Stark. Stop! _Tony braced himself against the table to stop blathering on about his personal problems. Something about being around Steve had made Tony relax even if he wasn’t entirely sure how Steve felt about him. However, going on and on about Pepper was a huge mistake; Steve was definitely going to bolt now.

Their waiter appeared again with their food saving Tony from any further embarrassment. The two remained quiet for some time, eating in silence save for a few non-related remarks.

“…do you think you would ever try to make things work with Ms. Potts again?” Something about Steve’s question seemed pained, which caught Tony off guard again.

Tony grinned to make the moment lighter, but he was so upset with himself for bringing up Pepper. “Uh, no. Definitely not,” he leaned closer over the table, “I’ll admit it took me a while to get over it, but we weren’t—aren’t right for each other.”

Steve nodded. Tony thought maybe he looked relieved, but then again, he told himself to cool it.

“…I don’t think I’m right for anyone, to be honest.” Tony chuckled quietly, trying to lighten up the mood.

Steve looked unamused. “Don’t say that, Tony,” he began to fiddle with the unused cutlery next to his plate, “…I understand what you mean about feeling alone.”

Tony eyes widened a little. He hadn’t expected Steve to be okay with the topic of relationships.

“It took me a bit to get over my last relationship, too. My ex, her name is Peggy. We had to break up because of distance. We couldn’t make time for each other and it became obvious that it just wasn’t working.” Steve continued as he fiddled. He was looking away from Tony.

“We talk from time to time. She even called to congratulate me on getting into Synergy…” Steve sighed.

Tony swallowed, taking a chance. “If the two of you were living in the same city, would you try to make it work?” He asked, almost annoyed with himself that he had. He hoped he didn’t sound desperate.

Steve shook his head. “No, I’ve definitely moved on.” He looked up at Tony and smiled. To Tony, something about it seized his heart.

Steve laughed to himself. “Bucky and Sam keep trying to hook me up with someone whenever we go out, but I’m so awful at dating.”

Tony made a face, mostly at learning that Bucky and Sam might have been trying to inadvertently cockblock him.

“I’ve only really been in one serious relationship...” Steve shyly admitted, glancing away from Tony, turning pink right on cue.

Tony’s face twisted into a look of confusion. “What? There’s no way. You’re so handsome _and_ nice.”

Steve laughed quietly again, glancing quickly at Tony before looking away again.

“Oh well, that’s nice of you to say.”

Tony couldn’t help his face from expressing how shocked he was. “Rogers, you can’t be serious. You are _extremely_ good looking.”

Steve sighed before leaning back into his chair. He shrugged. “I guess, but I don’t feel like I got any attention until I was in college. And still, it feels strange to me. I used to be a lot scrawnier when I was kid…”

Tony’s eyes lit up. Something about Steve telling him this piece of personal information felt like he was making a breakthrough.

_Okay, maybe Rhodey was right about Steve…_

“Well I can tell that you’re a humble person, if that makes you feel less weird about me basically objectifying you just now.” Tony teased as he tried to interpret Steve’s dating history.

Steve chuckled which relieved Tony.

“And I wish I were more like you when I was your age. Probably would have saved me a lot of heartache.” Tony laughed, mostly to himself, even though it wasn’t funny. He concealed how he was feeling by drinking out of his water glass.

_Would make sense that he’s bad at dating…but he can’t be that bad…_Tony wondered.

Steve stared at Tony in silence; something about his facial expression felt unnerving to Tony.

“I think what I miss the most about being with someone is the feeling of being absolutely vulnerable.” Steve offered as he placed his hands on the table. Tony could feel the tone in the conversation seriously shifting.

“Sure, I’m close with my friends, but it’s not the same, of course…” Steve trailed off as he cupped his hands together.

Tony couldn’t help staring at him; the light from the candle in the middle of the table accentuated every little feature on his handsome face. Something about Steve’s demeanor and tone in his voice suggested that maybe he was interested. Besides, who starts talking about being vulnerable and such while having a nice quiet, intimate dinner like this?

Tony took another chance as he sharply inhaled, reaching across the table to touch Steve.

“You know...you can be that way with me, Steve...” Tony practically whispered. His voice was shaking a little. He was anxious that Steve might reject him again, but for some reason he felt overly confident in the moment.

Steve’s eyes widened as the light from the candle flickered. He opened his mouth a few times to speak, but never really answered. Tony, still holding onto Steve’s hands, sensed that maybe he did make a mistake; he wasn’t sure how to read Steve’s expression.

“I…uh…I…” Steve stammered a bit until their waiter came over, unaware that he had, once again, saved them both from another bout of tensed humiliation.

“How is everything so far?”

Steve nodded furiously while Tony, still holding onto to Steve, answered that they were fine. As soon as the waiter walked away from their table, Steve pulled his hands away from Tony and coughed. Tony felt an even more aching, sinking feeling as Steve ran a hand through his hair, eyes darting in the direction of the restroom.

“I…w-will you excuse me for a second?” Steve jumped up from the table before Tony could answer him.

Tony sank into his chair as he watched Steve run off to the restrooms, much like he had the morning after the party.

_Jesus. I don’t even know why I try_. Tony felt like leaving. What was the use? Steve seemed willing then would always pull back. Maybe he shouldn’t have touched him, but it felt like he could. Tony beat himself up over reading too much into things then sighed thinking that he definitely blew his chance with Steve.

“Sorry about that.” Steve appeared about five minutes later, taking his time sitting down. He looked solemn, but not upset.

“Sam’s hanging out Shuri's tonight,” Steve chuckled, “I was just on the phone with him and it sounds like he might be staying over at her place…would, uh, you like to come over?”

Tony had to prevent himself from staring wide-eyed at Steve; he was sure he had messed everything up.

“Uh—yes!” Tony shuffled around himself, trying to regain some control over his eagerness.

“Just let me call Rhodey to let him know I’ll be out a little later than expected.” He excused himself as he nearly sprinted to the restrooms. He almost dropped his phone as he called his friend, making a mental note that his phone was now at thirty percent.

“Hey, Tony. How’s dinner?” Rhodey sounded weary on the other end of the receiver, which meant that it was Peter’s bedtime and it was usually a chore trying to get the nine-year old ready for bed.

“Uh, it’s great actually,” Tony took a moment before continuing, “so, um. I hate to do this, but could you watch Peter for me for a couple more hours? Steve….” Tony took a deep breath, “…Steve asked me back to his place—”

Tony heard his friend whistle a few times; he instantly felt self-conscious but that wasn’t going to stop him from looking forward to spending more time with Steve.

“Yeah, of course, Tone. I figured I would end up doing that anyway.” Tony could feel Rhodey’s grin through the phone.

“You didn’t know that, Rhodes. But thank you.” Tony smiled as Rhodey wished him a good night. He walked back to the table to find Steve paying for the check.

“Whoa, hold up a minute, Rogers. I asked _you_ to dinner.” Tony pulled out his wallet as he intercepted Steve.

Steve smiled shyly at him. “I didn’t want to assume, but thank you, Tony. I think I have cake for dessert back at my place.”

Tony grinned. “Well, that sounds great.”

As soon as Tony settled the bill, they walked to Steve’s apartment, mostly discussing Synergy. Suddenly, Tony, out of the corner of his eye, as Steve unlocked the front door to the building, spotted a motorcycle parked near some of the resident cars. He looked on curiously as he walked toward it, noticing that it was sporting a small decal representing Steve’s unit from when he was in the army.

“Is this yours, Rogers? And how did I miss this the last time I was here?” Tony pointed at the bike with a toothy smile.

Steve turned around to join Tony. He laughed as he ran a hand through his hair before placing his hands on his hips.

“Yeah, I don’t get to ride it often since I’m traveling to the Tower most days.”

Tony smirked as he crossed his arms. “The picture I have of you is almost complete. You’re innocent on the outside, but a little dangerous on the inside, right?” He continued to grin at Steve who seemed to be playing along.

Steve chuckled before returning to unlock the door. “If you want, maybe I can give you a ride some time.”

Tony had to prevent himself from expressing amazement at Steve’s offer. He was sure he definitely looked goofy trying to act cool in front of a crush.

“Uh, yeah. I would like that.”

They entered the building and walked up the stairs to Steve’s apartment, continuing to chat about work. As soon as they entered, Tony couldn’t believe that he was finally alone with Steve in his apartment. He stood awkwardly in the living room, watching Steve fumble around in the kitchen for some plates. He thought maybe he should sit down but waited until Steve joined him with their slices of cake.

Steve smiled as he handed Tony a plate. Lacking any semblance of grace, Tony ineptly took it with a fork before sitting down on the opposite side of the couch from Steve. They ate in silence before Tony finally thought of something to say.

“You know, Rhodey has a friend who works closely with the folks over at the Pentagon. Maybe we could use his connection as an ‘in’.” Tony watched Steve nod, but could tell that work was becoming a tired topic of conversation. He mentally berated himself for bringing up business in an intimate setting like this.

Tony cleared his throat before trying again. “I, uh, had a nice time with you tonight. Thank you for having dinner with me.” He glanced over at Steve who was looking back at him.

Steve smiled. “Same. Thank you for asking me.”

Tony grinned. “I thought maybe…you were avoiding me…”

Steve expressed curiosity. “Why would you say that?”

Tony laughed. He was at war with himself over whether to bring up the morning after the party but decided not to; he didn’t want to ruin the moment.

“I’m just paranoid, I guess.”

Steve grinned. “I like spending time with you, Tony. So, you don’t have to worry.”

The moment felt superbly intimate, but Tony wasn’t sure what his next move should be. He was close to Steve on the couch, but not really close enough to kiss him. Also, he wasn’t sure if he should try; something about the morning after the party was still bothering him and he was afraid of misreading the mood again.

He tried saving himself by finding an excuse to look elsewhere. He pulled out his phone.

“I’m surprised I haven’t received a stream of messages from Peter.” He chuckled.

Steve smiled, but he looked confused. “Peter knows how to use a smartphone?”

Tony laughed loudly. “No, Rogers. He’s still too young to own a phone. I made him a watch that he can send me messages through, well, emojis really. J.A.R.V.I.S. is also wired to it, but besides that, it’s really just a high-tech looking wristwatch.”

Steve nodded with a kind smile. To Tony, something about the smile was both super sexy and innocent.

“Maybe he can give me a lesson on how to use technology.”

Tony smiled back shyly, but then chuckled at the way Steve used the word “technology”. He thought about Peter meeting Steve but wondered how to go about doing it without making it a huge deal. Also, would Steve even want to meet Peter? He was probably just being nice asking about him from time to time. Tony ordered himself not to over think the possibility or lack thereof until he finally figured out Steve’s intentions.

“You’re better than you think, especially with the Synergy device, Rogers.”

Steve kept smiling, but then he looked slightly away from Tony.

“Oh well, you’ve been patient with me, so that helps.” Steve acknowledged with a cute grin.

Tony smiled back, giving himself some credit for making a good move finally. He then looked downward at his phone, realizing he was down to one percent battery power.

“Dammit.”

_I need to upgrade these phones. The charge is ridiculous! _Tony nearly screamed in his head with frustration.

“Everything all right?” Tony looked over to find that Steve watching him.

Tony turned off his phone. “This phone. The charge on it is abysmal. And I need to call Rhodey.”

Steve held out his hand toward Tony. “May I see it? I think Sam has the same one.”

Tony beamed as he handed Steve his phone.

“Oh yeah. Sam complains about the charge on this all the time. I think he has an extra charger. Hold on.”

Steve handed Tony his phone back before heading toward the kitchen. He moved a few things around before he found the charger. He turned around and smiled.

“You’re welcomed to use it. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

Tony smirked before rising from the couch. He walked over to Steve to retrieve the charger. Steve held the charger out, continuing to smile, and Tony nearly forgot what a smartphone was.

“Could I borrow your phone while it charges?” Tony asked meekly as he finally remembered how to act like a human.

Steve chuckled before pulling his phone out of his pocket. “You know the nice thing about having an old phone is that I don’t ever really need to charge it.” He handed the phone to Tony.

Tony shook his head with a laugh. “Okay that and nothing else. Excuse me for a sec.” He smiled at Steve before walking a few feet away from him as he dialed Rhodey’s number.

“Hello?” Rhodey sounded incredibly confused.

“Hey, Rhodey. It’s Tony.”

“Whose number are you calling me from?”

“I’m using Steve’s phone.”

Rhodey chuckled. “Oh yeah? Already sharing phones, eh?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “The charge on the new Stark X is terrible. I need to hang out at Steve’s a bit longer then I’ll probably call a car.”

Rhodey snickered again. “Tony. It’s all right if you stay over. I don’t mind.”

Tony’s eyes widened, absolutely mortified, but he was speechless.

“You don’t have to make excuses to get your groove back, Tone.”

Tony groaned loudly, quickly looking behind himself to make sure Steve hadn’t heard him.

“I’m just going to charge my phone, okay? I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Yeah, okay, Tony. But I’ll plan for when—if you end up staying over.”

Tony hardly said goodbye to his friend before hanging up. He knew Rhodey was just teasing him, but he was trying to tread lightly with Steve in order not to scare him again.

“Everything okay?” He heard Steve call.

Tony walked back to the kitchen. “Yeah, so where should I plug this in?” He glanced around the apartment space; the apartment was one of those renovated post-Second World War where there were only three or so outlets available.

“How do you plug anything in here?” Tony sneered with a smile.

Steve grinned before motioning for Tony to follow him. Tony returned the expression and followed before he realized that Steve was leading him to his bedroom. He stopped short at the threshold and panicked.

_Ugh, fuck._

Steve turned around. He was near his bed with his arms crossed. “You can use the outlet in here.”

He pointed to the other side of the bed where there was a bedside table. Tony took his time before walking toward the table, reminding himself not to be weird, play cool, don’t say something stupid or do anything stupid.

And it felt like the longest trip ever walking from the threshold to the table. He gasped for air before plugging the charger in, placing the phone on top the table. Tony then rocked back and forth on his heels, keeping his mind off the fact that he was in Steve’s bedroom, alone with Steve.

_Maybe I should sit on the edge of the bed? _Tony wrestled with himself. Something about his facial expression must have caused Steve to take notice.

“Tony, you can lie down if you want. I know it’s getting super late.” Steve offered as he pulled the covers back on his side. Tony look at Steve then the bed, then Steve again before looking back down at the bed.

_Could rest a bit…just don’t do anything weird_._ Call a car later._ He told himself.

Tony nodded before taking a moment to peal the covers back on his side. Steve shrugged before removing his pants and over shirt.

_Holy fucking shit! _Tony nearly screamed out loud, losing his shit as he watched Steve half undress. He couldn’t leave now for fear of offending Steve, but he also couldn’t stay for fear of accidentally (or really on purpose) touching Steve. His brain almost short circuited as he watched Steve slide into the bed and pat the empty space next to him. Tony couldn’t believe what was happening.

Steve looked over at Tony, seemingly waiting for him to join.

“Please don’t tell me you’re weird about sharing beds.” Steve chuckled. He leaned over toward his bedside table to grab a book. Tony continued to stare for a moment longer before answering.

“Please don’t tell me that the government couldn’t afford our troops their own beds?” Alluding to Steve’s military service; the question didn’t sound stupid or awkward, which Tony was immediately thankful for. He proceeded to slowly undress, first fumbling with his jeans before making a whole show of sliding them off. He heard Steve still giggling from the bed.

“No, Bucky and I, when we were little, used to share a bed when we stayed over at each other’s house.” Steve answered casually as if sharing a bed with your childhood friend when you were kids was the same as sharing a bed now with another fully-grown adult.

Tony looked away as he frowned; there was Bucky again. Although Sam had seemed forthright with his insight into their relationship, Tony couldn’t help but think there was something else going on between Steve and Bucky. Maybe they dated before Sam knew them? Or maybe they fucked on one or possibly more occasions and are just cool with each other now.

Tony had to stop himself for a moment. He wasn’t even sure if Steve was interested in him, although the whole being vulnerable thing at dinner and now this suggested otherwise. Or maybe he was just being nice? Maybe Steve felt sorry for him because he was such a maladroit and could barely function around other people who hadn’t already known him for years.

“Uh,” Tony began, not really sure what he was trying to say, but he didn’t want to talk about Bucky, “that’s cute…” He finally answered.

_Oh my god. I’m dying alone._ Tony felt like crawling into a hole. That was the stupidest thing he had ever said.

Steve chuckled. “I’m glad you think so, Tony.”

Tony glanced at Steve. He was smiling; his facial expression was its usual soft and inviting countenance. Tony sighed in his head before finally climbing into the bed with Steve. He settled next to him, body near the edge. He heard Steve say something else, but something about how soft Steve’s bed was and how worked up he had been since the weekend forced his body to give into exhaustion. He drifted off to sleep next to Steve with his phone fully charged next to the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You would think that of all the things Tony could possibly own, it would be a portable charger. But then again, he wouldn't be passed out in Steve's bed right now... :p


	15. Chapter 15

“Do you have enough room, Tony?” Steve whispered softly, but it was clear after a minute or so of total silence that Tony had already drifted off to sleep.

_This was a date…right? _Steve wondered to himself, as he lingered a bit before turning over on his side to face away from Tony.

He really thought it was. Although they hadn’t agreed on it before going out, the conversation during dinner and the rest of the night had suggested it was. As he tried to take Bucky’s dating advice a little too literally, Steve thought he would try to convey to Tony that he was interested as it became clear, as the evening progressed, that the latter appeared to be strangely tentative.

Steve flinched as Tony made a sleep noise, shaking the bed a little as he turned over some more. Steve propped himself up on his elbow to look back at Tony, but then settled back down on his side.

Steve sighed. He had accidentally overheard Tony’s conversation with Rhodey which led Steve to believe that Tony was close to going home before anything got physical between the two of them. Steve, through a surge of desperation, thought maybe letting Tony rest in his bed would lead to something, but Tony seemed awkward and timid.

Steve groaned to himself; he felt so ridiculous for even trying outside of his comfort zone.

_Steve, Jesus. Just go for it…what do you have to lose?_

He had never been the type to even kiss on the first date, so asking Tony over and basically inviting him into his bed was just about all Steve could tolerate, and it didn’t even pay off.

_Thank you for having dinner with me…_

_I like spending time with you, Tony…_

Steve carefully turned onto his back. Tony began snoring loudly, squirming a little until his body went completely still. Steve watched him settled until he turned his head to stare at the ceiling. He scolded himself once more before squeezing his eyes shut, trying to succumb to sleep, feeling dejected.

* * *

_The next morning…_

Steve’s internal clock jerked him awake. He yawned, blinking a few times before looking over at Tony who was practically curled in a ball, dead asleep, and snoring even louder than last night. Steve attempted to readjust his body, but then he realized that Tony was sleeping on top his outstretched arm. He gently pulled himself free, wincing momentarily as Tony let out a huge sigh before turning over on his other side. He promptly went back to snoring.

Steve looked over at the clock on his bedside table to check the time before settling back down into the bed, now watching Tony sleep soundly. Steve grimaced as he began mulling over last night again.

_He’s definitely not interested…_Steve then thought to himself, still feeling stupid for asking Tony to come over.

Steve sighed, trying to process his feelings and further assess Tony’s behavior. The feeling grew worse as he thought about waking up in Tony’s bed after dreaming about them making out. He groaned again as he slapped a hand to his forehead, upset with himself that he could never seem to get this whole dating thing right—

“Steve! Are you awake? If you are, I’ve got breakfast!”

Steve shot up straight in the bed as he heard Sam calling for him out in the living room. The force of the movement woke Tony who made a few disgruntled noises.

“What’s…is it…what time is it?” Tony mumbled, trying to wake himself up fully. He sat up halfway in the bed, slowly moving side to side as if he were stuck in quicksand.

Steve reached out his hand to stop Tony from squirming around so much, placing his hand on Tony’s shoulder and squeezing tightly.

“Sam’s here…” Was all Steve could say, totally paralyzed.

He felt like hiding underneath the blankets and covers; there was no way he was going to be able to get Tony out of the apartment without confronting Sam.

Tony sighed before slowly getting out of the bed. He nearly dropped his phone as he reached to check it.

“How long was I asleep?” He asked, still dazed.

“It’s morning, Tony.” Steve answered, not really hiding underneath the blankets but he had them drawn up to his neck.

Tony turned slightly to squint at Steve. He shook his head a few times as he yawned before rising from the bed. He yawned even louder as he stretched his arms out.

“Tony!” Steve tried through a half-whisper.

Tony turned around to look at Steve; he looked to be mentally processing the situation before answering, taking a moment before addressing Steve again.

“Did you say Sam was here?” He asked, cocking his head somewhat to the side.

Steve nodded wordlessly. He was still holding the covers up to his neck.

Tony took another moment before resting his hands on his hips.

“And…you _don’t_ want him to find us like this?” He questioned, heavily emphasizing the word “don’t” as he seemed to be analyzing Steve’s behavior.

Steve swallowed a lump in his throat as he nodded back again. He wasn’t sure if he should try to explain the situation. Of course, he was interested, but he also didn’t want his friends to think he was just sleeping around.

A moment or so passed as Tony stared at him. Steve stared back, too petrified to explain himself. Then, Tony suddenly cracked the most unnerving smile Steve had ever witnessed. He watched Tony saunter over toward the bedroom window.

“…you know, I could probably scale the building if I exited through the window…” Tony offered before peeking out through the curtains.

Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing; the sudden change in Tony’s tone was unsettling.

“You’ve done this before haven’t you…?” Steve then asked, but not really sure why he had.

Tony turned somewhat to address him again. He smiled, although the expression was no longer similar to his usual demeanor.

“Let’s be honest…you and I both know this is probably _not_ the worst thing I’ve been caught doing.” Tony smirked at Steve; his hair tousled in such a way that made Steve stare at him dumfounded.

Steve tried to smile back, but there was something off about Tony’s behavior now. He opened his mouth to try to explain why he didn’t want Sam to see them like this, but then Tony smacked a hand to his forehead.

“Shit. My jacket, shoes, and keys are still out in your living room, aren’t they?”

Steve sunk further down into the bed as he heard Sam continue to call for him.

“Also, there’s enough here for Tony to join us…that’s if he doesn’t need to leave so soon!” The tone in Sam’s voice must had made Steve blush the reddest color because Tony started laughing hysterically.

Steve began lifting his index finger to shush Tony, but he knew it was useless. Sam knew Tony was there and was probably grinning the hardest he’s ever grinned thinking that his friend had finally slept with someone he was beginning to crush on.

Tony shrugged. “What can you do?” He was smiling which made Steve smile a little, although he still felt weird. He had to come to terms with the fact that he’d have to spend a good deal of the morning and most likely the rest of the weekend trying to convince Sam that he hadn’t gone that far with Tony.

Steve pulled a blanket over his head, sighed, before flinging the covers away. He swung his legs over the side of the bed as he looked around for his jeans from last night. He looked over at Tony who was in the process of trying to make himself look more presentable.

_Ugh, it does look like we slept together…_Steve thought.

Steve took his time pulling his jeans on before exiting the bedroom with Tony closely behind him. He tried straightening out his hair, but he knew it wouldn’t help the scene Sam was about to witness.

Sam was sitting at the kitchen table. He was smiling widely while taking a huge bite out of a giant breakfast burrito. Steve stopped short near the kitchen as Tony continue to stop in front of him. Both shuffled around awkwardly: Steve looked around himself as if he had forgotten something and Tony felt around in his pockets as if he were searching for something.

“Sam.” Tony smiled as much as he could without looking like a dork.

“Tony, nice to see you.” Sam chuckled as he looked over at Steve. Steve was absolutely mortified, but he was trying to hold it together without falling apart in front of Sam and Tony.

“Thanks for that charger, Rogers.” Tony muttered, snapping then pointing a finger at Steve.

“Yep.” Steve quickly answered, trying to mimic Tony but failing miserably, encouraging Tony squint his eyes at him with a sneer.

“And, uh, thanks for the offer, Sam, but I should really get home. I need to relieve my intrepid babysitter.”

Steve could see Tony smiling at him out of the corner of his eye, but he was too embarrassed to look directly at him. He watched Tony cross their apartment to grab his things, before he stopped short near the door. Steve could feel Sam staring at him with that goofy smile which made him blush even more.

“Uh, I’ll walk you out, Tony…” Steve stammered as he crossed in front of Sam, trying to avoid eye contact with his friend.

Tony nodded as he waited for Steve to finally get to door. Steve fumbled a bit as he tried to open it as if that was the first time he had ever unlocked their apartment door.

“See you in a bit, Sam.” Steve mumbled as he let Tony out before basically slamming the door behind them. He could hear Sam roaring with laughter.

Steve turned toward Tony, who looked to be on the verge of cracking up himself.

“I’m so embarrassed…” Steve hung his head as he leaned up against the wall of the hallway. He closed his eyes as he felt a hand lightly brush his arm.

“Look on the bright side, Rogers. It could have been_ significantly_ worse.” As Steve opened his eyes, he saw Tony smiling at him. Steve tried to smile back, but something about Tony’s expression looked pained. He forced a smile anyway.

“Well, maybe…” He tried. He thought maybe he should clarify this terribly awkward situation, but then he thought about how apprehensive Tony acted around him last night, which seemed unusual to Steve; he was used to Tony flirting more and instigating it.

_…so, I guess he really isn’t interested…_Steve repeated to himself as he walked Tony out of the apartment building.

Steve waited with Tony until the car the latter had ordered arrived. He flinched a little as Tony reached over to give him a hug. He managed to hug him back, but it felt uncomfortable. Tony patted him on the shoulder with a grin before opening the door to the backseat.

“I’ll see you on Monday.” Tony said with a kind smile before sliding into the backseat.

Steve nodded, standing still for a moment as he watched the car drive away. He sighed to himself as he took the time to regain his composure before heading upstairs to his apartment. He knew Sam was never going to let this go.

As soon as Steve opened the door to the apartment, Sam was in the middle of making coffee for himself in the kitchen. He turned around to face Steve, snickering as he cooled down his coffee.

“Don’t say a word.” Steve half-jokingly, yet half sternly commanded. Sam put up his free hand in surrender before chuckling some more as Steve plopped down on the couch. He exhaled deeply as he put his hand over his face, head leaning back.

“If you don’t want people to think you’re messing around with Tony, maybe you shouldn’t have him spend the night.”

“Sam!” Steve groaned loudly as Sam ultimately ignored the previous command.

If Steve hadn’t already been embarrassed, he definitely felt like crawling in a hole for the rest of his life now. Sam slumped down next to his friend, handing him the coffee mug, laughing lightly as he leaned against the couch. Steve looked at his friend; he could tell Sam was just kidding, but he was still mortified.

“Look, Steve. I don’t know why you’re being so hush-hush about your relationship with Tony. We _all_ know how much you like him.” Sam ended with an eye roll as Steve looked on, his expression weary.

“…I think I did something stupid after the party…” Steve let out quietly.

“All you did was fall asleep in his bed, Cap.”

Steve shook his head a few times. “…no, I really think I did something else…”

Sam waited for Steve to continue. He had to have done something else after the party because now Tony was reconsidering how he treated him.

Steve sighed loudly. “…I’m a little embarrassed that you found us like that,” Steve took a deep breath as he heard Sam laugh quietly, “and…I’m not being hush-hush, Sam. I’m just not sure where Tony’s at with all of this…” Steve slumped further down into the couch.

“…I’m not entirely sure, but I think last night was supposed to be a date…remember when I told you he sounded nervous when he asked about dinner? And the restaurant was super nice…”

Sam nodded his head as he continued to listen.

“…but nothing really happened…we were close at dinner, but after we came here…nothing happened…” Steve sighed heavily as he felt a hand rub his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Sam expressing genuine concern for his feelings.

“Not to sound overly intrusive, but he did spend the night here last night, right? Why would he do that if he weren’t interested in you?”

“I know. I’m just not sure...” Steve muttered. He shuffled a bit on the couch until he felt something poke him from underneath. He shifted to find a pair of sunglasses wedged in between in the cushions. He groaned to himself, recognizing that they belonged to Tony.

Steve cradled the glasses in his hands before sighing again. But before he could let Sam offer him some more advice, Steve jumped up off the couch as he headed toward his bedroom.

“I’m going for a run.” He let out as he marched to his bedroom. He couldn’t spend the rest of the day obsessing over Tony.

* * *

_The following Monday…_

Tony sat hunched over a table in the lab, pretending to do work, but really thinking about Steve. Occasionally, his mind would slip back to the present, realizing that he had been so consumed with thinking about Steve all morning that he hadn’t turned on any music which was usually a part of his morning routine.

“J.A.R.V.I.S. Play something for me, please.” Tony mumbled with a sigh.

“What would you like to hear, Sir?”

“I don’t know, surprise me.” Tony answered curtly, his voice lowering in despair.

J.A.R.V.I.S. shuffled through a few playlists until the computer landed on one that Tony played the most frequently. Tony sat in silence, brooding over his misery.

Not only had Tony screwed up the equations during the board presentation, he now had his friends taking over his parental responsibilities more often so he could chase a crush. And how much of that chasing was actually working, again, Tony couldn’t be so sure.

_…you don’t want him to find us like this…_

_Really thought Steve was interested…_Tony brooded.

On top on bearing witness to Steve freaking out that Sam had caught them in bed, he had been beating himself up all weekend over falling asleep at Steve’s. Rhodey had been more than okay with staying late with Peter, but Tony was fearful of turning into his father. There had been countless times in his childhood where he had been left alone with a nanny when he should have been spending his formative years with his father.

And Steve. Tony groaned. What was it about this whole thing with Steve that was driving him senseless? Okay, so at the dinner, Steve seemed into whatever vibe Tony had picked up toward the end. They went home together, even if it was for some cake. Steve brought up Bucky—Tony groaned again. But Steve _did_ invite him over. But he also seemed to be unwilling to talk about what had happened after Thor’s party. He also nearly lost his shit the morning after. Was he playing a game? Tony would be shocked—shocked!—to find out that Steve Rogers, Mr. Traditional, would be playing mind games with him. There was no way.

It also wasn’t lost on Tony that that night with Steve had been the first in long while he had finally slept all the way through the night. The reminder made Tony feel even more sick with grief.

_Ugh, I’m so dying alone_. Tony thought to himself again as he plopped his head into his hands. But before he could feel more miserable, Tony felt a hand on his shoulder. Mustering up enough sensibility to not appear like a love-sick fool, he turned around to greet Steve.

“I hope Sam didn’t give you too much shit about Saturday morning.” Tony was smiling, but he felt empty inside from trying to navigate his feelings.

The hand on Tony’s shoulder squeezed tightly as Steve sighed before letting go. Tony watched his lab mate take a seat next to him, looking completely worn out. That was the first time Tony had ever seen Steve in such a state, and that was including right after Thor’s party.

_I should have stopped us in the elevator_. Tony’s insides felt like a smorgasbord offering varying levels of pain. Hopefully, the smile he was wearing for Steve masked all of that.

“Ha, well. It could have been worse, like you said.” Steve answered wearily though he was also smiling.

Tony tried to keep his expression pleasant, but the guilt of having Rhodey stay so late with Peter and his failure from trying to figure out Steve made his face fall back into agony. He could tell it had so from the way Steve was now expressing concern.

“Are you all right?” Steve asked quietly. He was leaning forward a bit, hands placed delicately in his lap.

Tony sighed heavily. Where should he begin?

“Look, Steve. I should be honest with you…” Tony started. He wasn’t sure where he was headed, but he needed to be upfront with Steve about his personal life. Maybe that would finally help him sort out how to navigate his feelings.

“I have a lot going on right now, including Peter and Synergy…I can’t really act the way I did when I saw you last…” Tony had to prevent himself from looking downward. He glanced at Steve who looked both worn and serious.

“Tony. I’m not a parent, but I understand that you have responsibilities…I’m sorry for asking you to come over…that overstepped boundaries…”

Tony felt guilt shoot through his body. He had a great time with Steve; he just felt too old to get tripped up over someone who might not be seriously interested in him.

Tony sighed as he moved his eyeglasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. “No, Steve. Don’t say that. I had a great time with you. I just…” Tony finally removed his eyeglasses before setting them down on a table next to him. He exhaled before scooting his chair closer toward Steve, who appeared both guilty himself, yet somber.

Tony hesitated before reaching out to touch Steve. Steve remained still has Tony lightly touched his hands, grazing his skin as gently as possible before taking a hold of both of Steve’s hands, much like he had in the restaurant. He took his time looking upward at Steve who looked incredibly sad. Tony cursed himself for making him look so melancholy.

“…I just—I’m not good at this...” Tony sighed again. There was no way he was going to tell Steve how he felt. He knew he would be rejected.

But before Tony could figure out how to explain himself, Steve gave him an out as he wrapped his hands around Tony’s.

“Tony, it’s all right. I understand, okay?” Steve nervously chuckled before he freed a hand to run through his hair. Tony felt like interrupting again; he didn’t want Steve to completely pull away from him.

“I’ll follow your lead, okay? It was rude of me to ask you to come over when you hadn’t made plans for Rhodey to stay longer with Peter.”

Steve grabbed both of Tony’s hands with his own. Tony watched Steve convey his sincerest apologies with his eyes.

“Steve, I really appreciate that, but please don’t beat yourself up over it,” Tony freed a hand to point toward himself, “it was my fault, okay?”

He decided that now wasn’t really the time to tell Steve how he felt. All of the shit that had happened over the past week or so was too much to process and he didn’t want to cause any more tension with Steve over a series of misunderstandings.

“Okay.” Steve answered quietly, smiling meekly back at Tony.

Steve’s remained steady; he only gently freed himself before patting Tony on the knee. He swiveled around in his chair to slide over to his usual console. Tony watched him for a brief moment before rising out of his chair to walk to his console.

Something about the conversation slowly relieved Tony. He decided not to read too much into it; Steve seemed willing to take him as he was, an overworked parent, but that didn’t necessarily mean that he was interested in him. He would only say something if something came up. Otherwise he would just leave it alone. If Steve were interested, he would have said so by now, right?

Tony sighed to himself as he ruminated over the possibility, forcing himself to finally get some work done.

* * *

“This is serious, Tony.” Tony had never seen Pepper look so grave.

It was later in the week and Tony was having an emergency meeting with Pepper in her office; Pepper was sitting at her desk with Tony sitting on the opposite side, trying to look as relaxed as possible.

“Just tell me, Pep.” But Tony knew he would never be able to fully brace himself for whatever shit was about to hit the fan.

Pepper took a deep breath as Tony slightly leaned forward.

“I got wind that Obadiah is planning to contact some international weapons dealers. I…” She stopped short before continuing. Tony gave her a curious nod.

“…I had a meeting with him this past Friday in his office. He left for a second to place a phone call, so I…ended up looking through some of the files on his desk…” She sounded so embarrassed.

Tony nearly slapped the edge of the desk with delight. “That’s my girl! What did you find out, Ms. Spy?” He never felt himself grin so hard in his entire life.

Pepper smiled meekly before shaking her head. “Tony. This is super serious. What if he had caught me? I shouldn’t have done that.”

Tony waved her off with a smile. “But he didn’t. You just proved that Obie is scheming behind us and this company. We just have to make sure he doesn’t get anywhere near the device to replicate weaponry.”

Pepper nodded, still horrified that she had admitted to peeping through company files. Tony sat back in his chair, arm on the rest, hand stroking his chin.

“Did you get any more details from the file?”

Pepper made a sour face before pulling out her phone. She tapped on it a few times before handing it to Tony. Tony looked perplexed as he accepted the phone.

“I took a few photos of the files before he got back…” Pepper sorely confessed.

Tony slapped his armchair, almost dropping her phone. “Pep!” He scrolled through the photos to find more information about the buyers. He looked up at her with a thoughtful expression.

“How can I be both elated, yet _very_ troubled at the same time?” Tony asked rhetorically before returning to the photos. Pepper groaned as she watched him.

“Can you please send me these?” Tony tapped on the phone after returning it to Pepper’s desk. He hopped out of the chair to exit Pepper’s office, stopping at the doorway to look back at her.

“Hey, Pep. You’re _such_ a troublemaker.” He quipped, hearing her sigh loudly as he quickly headed toward his lab with a huge grin on his face.

* * *

_Not too long after…_

Steve remained completely silent as he looked through the photos of the files on Tony’s phone.

“Tony…” He finally gasped, “this is serious…”

Tony nodded his head as he walked over to a console. “I know. J.A.R.V.I.S., show me the coordinates to this shindig.”

As Tony filed through the information on the buyers, Steve came up to join him at the console. Ever since their talk from the beginning of the week, both were doing their best not to step on each other’s toes. Although they had managed to complete work effectively together, per usual, the camaraderie they usually experienced had dissipated quite a bit.

“It looks like the buyers are planning to attend this event out in Malibu this weekend.” Tony was mostly talking to himself, but he was loud enough for Steve to hear.

“What are you planning to do?” Steve asked, watching Tony file through the information.

“I’m going to go out there, gather intel on the buyers then toss Obie out on his ass.” Tony answered coolly, eyes still fixed on the data.

“You can’t go by yourself, Tony.” Tony could feel Steve settle next to him. “I’m going with you.”

“As much as I would love to play spy with you, Rogers, I can’t ask you do to that.” Tony had appreciated the offer, well more than appreciated it, actually. But there was no way the board and Fury would be happy if they found out that he had dragged a fellow Synergy team member across the country to help him sabotage Obadiah.

“I’m not asking, I’m telling you.” Steve had turned slightly to face Tony. His hand was near his, and Tony could feel Steve’s warmth from it. He could sense from Steve’s stern expression that his lab mate wasn’t planning on letting up about the trip.

Tony looked at Steve. Something about his tone was super sexy, but Tony reminded himself not to get hung up on it. He desperately wanted to take a hold of Steve’s hand, but decided against it.

“Fine. But we have to keep it on the low, okay? Pepper would kill me if she found out.”

Steve nodded. “When do you think we should leave?”

“J.A.R.V.I.S., can you please prepare the newest private jet for departure.” Tony turned toward Steve.

“Can you leave tomorrow, late morning? I know this is super last minute.”

Steve nodded once more with determination. “Yes.”

Tony grinned. “Okay, good. We’re taking the newest jet which is in an undisclosed area in Queens. I haven’t installed the GPS tracker in it yet, but let’s try _not_ to get caught, okay, Rogers?” Tony smirked at Steve before walking over to another console.

“Of course, Tony. I’m all yours.” Tony grimaced a little. He stayed with his back facing Steve so the latter wouldn’t see his expression.

“Um, meet me here tomorrow at 11.” Tony began, a little caught off guard by Steve’s otherwise seemingly innocent statement.

“I’ll send out a memo that I’m attending a tech conference thing and I thought bringing you along would be good for team morale, or whatever.” Tony waved himself off as he came up with the elaborate lie.

“That seemed easy to come up with.” Tony could tell from the sound of Steve’s voice that he wasn’t too far behind him.

Tony laughed, although he felt awkward. He turned around to face Steve. “I go to tech conferences, you’re my teammate. No harm, no foul, Rogers.” He patted Steve on the shoulder before returning to studying the information on his console.

“Oh, and, uh…,” Tony took his time turning around again as he heard Steve address him once more, “…I found these in my couch…uh…last night…”

Steve handed Tony a pair of sunglasses he had produced from his work bag. Tony hesitated before accepting the glasses. He thought he had left them at the restaurant but had been too lazy to retrieve them. Besides, they weren’t the only pair he owned.

“Uh, thanks, Rogers…” Tony finally answered. A little grin crept up onto his face, but then he attempted to look less exposed.

Steve smiled back at him before turning around to walk toward his console. Tony watched him for a moment longer before turning to face his own workstation.


	16. Chapter 16

The following morning, both Tony and Steve were on their way to the west coast in Tony’s private jet. The jet, which Tony explained to an especially skeptical Steve as soon as they took off, was piloted by a computer, allowing Tony to focus on his amateur spying skills. Both men were in the main cabin, strategizing about the event. The main cabin was divided into two symmetrical areas divided along the long axis of the plane: each side had two seats surrounding a table. The back of the cabin contained a mini bar packed with some pre-prepared meals. Steve had flown first class once before but flying in a private jet alone with Tony was on another level he still had trouble fully comprehending.

“Now please tell me you’ve seen _Minority Report_, Rogers.” Tony seemed to be already in a state of feigned dismissiveness before Steve had a chance to answer him.

Steve flinched with excitement coupled with a dash of annoyance.

“Of course, I have!”

Tony scoffed. “I don’t know. Your grasp on popular culture is, well, suspect, at best.”

Steve shook his head with a huff. “Yeah, okay. What does that have to do with the thing in Malibu?”

Tony grinned, expressing his usual demeanor typically saved for a scientific breakthrough.

“Remember the scene with the device that smooches Tom Cruise’s face so he can get back into Precrime undetected?” Tony sat back in his chair, looking pleased with himself, “well, I have invented one of those.”

He then pulled a slender device out of the breast pocket of his jacket, “but it only messes with your biological makeup incrementally to make some of your more distinct facial features a _little_ different.”

“…do you really think that’s necessary, Tony?” Steve looked horrified, hesitating before accepting the device as Tony handed it to him.

Tony chuckled. “I know I’m not Queen Bey famous, Rogers, but I still get recognized on occasion, i.e. your graduation, if you recall.”

Steve laughed quietly. “I meant that mostly for myself…” He turned the device around and around in his hand before feeling his face as if it had already transformed.

Tony frowned at Steve before getting up to get water for the both of them from the mini bar.

“It’ll only change slightly, just enough for someone to do a double take if they’ve met you before.” Tony returned with the glasses, handing one to Steve. Their hands brushed up against each other, but neither acknowledged it as they continued with the plan.

Tony took a sip out of his water glass before taking the device back from Steve. “It’ll last for only twelve  
hours—”

“_Only_ twelve hours?” Steve scrunched up his face in disbelief.

Tony laughed at Steve, sitting back in his chair again. “Jesus, Rogers. It’s not _that_ bad. I thought you wanted to play spy with me?” He grinned slyly, arms resting on either side of him.

Steve huffed, clearly not amused, but waited a moment before finally smiling back at Tony.

“Okay, whatever, Tony.”

To anyone witnessing the exchange, it would have seemed as if being on a plane with each other for under an hour appeared to cure their dissipating camaraderie brought on from earlier in the week.

Tony smiled back at Steve before leaning forward. He held up the device. “Four hours until we get to the hotel, about two hours to get ready and possibly scout out the place, then that would give us the rest of the evening to gather any information we need on the buyers.”

Steve nodded, still looking a little worried. “We have to do the…thing...now?” He waved his hand aimlessly at the device.

Tony chuckled. “We’re my test subjects and I want to make sure it works properly. So yes.”

Steve’s eyes widened with alarm. “Tony! You haven’t tested it yet?”

Tony shrugged. “I ran a test through the computer and nine times out of ten it works just fine.”

“That’s not making me feel any better…” Steve responded, letting his trepidation be known.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’ll do it first. Just relax, you big baby.” He smirked at Steve before holding the device underneath his chin, taking a huge deep, dramatic breath.

Steve sat rigid in the chair, trying not to look even more frightened than he had been about a second before. Tony gave him a thumbs up and a cheeky smile before pressing a button on the device. It made a clicking noise, but before it did anything, Tony suddenly lurched to the side, screaming in agony as he fell off his seat.

“Tony!” Steve jumped up immediately, crouching down near him, trying to keep calm.

“Tony!” He repeated, “...are you all right?” Steve hesitated before putting his hands on Tony to turn him over.

But then, Tony turned himself over, laughing uncontrollably. He was holding his hands to his side, rolling back and forth. His facial features were slowly changing as he continued bellowing with laughter.

“That’s not funny, Tony!” Steve lightly shoved Tony before sitting back onto his heels. He meant to scold Tony further, but he couldn’t help but stare as he watched his fellow novice spy partner’s face change.

As Tony’s laughter subsided, Steve noticed that he now looked more like someone who could favor Tony Stark but was not quite Tony Stark. It was peculiarly captivating yet unnerving at the same time.

“From the look you’re giving me now, I see that it’s working. Uncanny, right?” Tony grinned, now leaning backward onto his forearms.

Steve leaned forward to study Tony’s face closer. “Yeah it’s a little creepy, I’ll give you that…” He reached out a hand to touch Tony’s face, completely disregarding any semblance of personal space, but Tony didn’t seem to mind.

As Steve’s fingers finally made contact with Tony’s face, prompting an “oh” from the latter, the jet shook somewhat from turbulence, launching Steve’s body forward into Tony’s lap. Tony laughed as he caught him.

“Jesus, Captain Rogers. Pretend this is a top-secret military combat mission or something. I can’t have you being all loosey goosey on me.” Tony smiled upward at Steve, now holding on to him with his hands on Steve’s hips.

Steve straddled Tony, not really making an effort to move any time soon. Both looked at each other for a minute or two before Steve realized that he was basically sitting on top of Tony with his hands on his shoulders and Tony holding him firmly at the hips.

“I’m usually better at holding my balance…” Steve muttered, finally getting up to sit down in his seat. His face was rosy but that was mostly from feeling Tony squeeze his body before letting go.

Tony remained on his forearms before getting up to sit down in his chair, opposite from Steve. He thought about teasing him more but decided against it considering that it was obvious Steve hadn’t appreciated him using an untested device on his face.

Tony twirled the device between his fingers. “Okay, you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to.” He tried to convey with a smile that he was sincerely apologetic for frightening him.

Steve sighed before he looked directly at Tony then the device. He smiled, albeit reservedly, before reaching out for the device.

“Fine. Give it here.”

Tony slapped an armrest with glee before handing Steve the device. “I’m sure you’ll remain just as handsome as you are right now, Rogers.” He coyly remarked.

Steve rolled his eyes with a sigh, but he reciprocated Tony’s expression. He took a deep breath before positioning the device underneath his chin just as Tony had done before. He closed his eyes and clicked the button, anticipating the worst. He felt a little prick before his face went numb. His eyes widened as Tony leaned forward to watch his facial features morph.

“How do I look?” Steve managed awkwardly.

Tony grinned. “Still hot, thank goodness.”

“Tony…” Steve turned red again, looking away.

Tony stared at Steve with a smile before swiftly changing the subject.

“Okay,” Tony fished a tablet out of his work bag, tapping a few times until he found the stolen files, “there are two buyers Obie’s been in contact with that we’ll meet at the event. I sent them a message after we took off to tell them to meet us there.”

Steve nodded as he looked downward at the tablet with Tony. “Lupho and Whoberis? Do their names sound familiar to you at all?”

Tony shook his head. “No. It says in the file they’re based internationally, but I’m sorely aware of most if not _all_ the prominent clients in this business.”

Tony handed Steve the tablet, who swiped through the files to study them further. Tony sat back in his chair, scratching his chin.

“Something’s not right…” He said so quietly that Steve almost didn’t hear him.

Steve looked up from the tablet to acknowledge Tony.

“It’s strange that Obie would be in contact with low-level buyers. He would have to prove to the board that he has a big enough client base to redirect the company…” Tony grappled with himself but deliberated aloud for Steve.

“Not to sound paranoid, but is there a possibility that these buyers might be a front for someone else?” Steve asked.

Tony looked at Steve intently. “I supposed that could be a possibility. I wouldn’t put it past Obie to work with someone so shady.”

Steve handed Tony the tablet back. “Although I’m concerned for our safety, I don’t think Obadiah would put himself in danger. I think when it comes down to it, he would look out for himself over anything else.”

“You’re right about how selfish Obie is. But there could be a possibility that he doesn’t even know what he’s getting himself into.” Tony countered.

Steve smiled. “I wouldn’t have let you go to this thing, or at least put up an effort, if I thought this was too dangerous. Also…I can keep track of you, Tony.”

Tony looked curiously at Steve. “Keep track of me?”

“Well, you’re my teammate. Your safety is important to me, Tony.” Steve’s expression was kind and innocent.

Tony smiled weakly at Steve, almost turning irrepressibly red, thinking about the first time Steve had said something similar to him a while ago.

“Uh…well…,” he started, shuffling around in his chair. He looked at his wristwatch, trying not to lock eyes with Steve.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., um, could you please update us on our flight time?” Tony asked, stumbling.

“Three hours and forty minutes until landing, Sir.” J.A.R.V.I.S. responded.

Tony clapped his hands together, trying desperately to change the tone in conversation. “Okay, I’m going to see what more I can find out about these buyers.” He pulled out another tablet from his bag and handed it to Steve. “Why don’t you look through the building plans at the event, so we know our way around before we get there.”

Steve nodded as he accepted the tablet.

Tony chuckled to himself. “You know, I wish I could take you to the house I have in Malibu.”

Steve glanced upward at him before smiling back down at his tablet. “You have another house? Well, actually I shouldn’t be surprised by that.”

Tony shrugged. “I vacation there sometimes. But of course, it wouldn’t be a good idea to go there now. You know with trying to stay low while spying on international dealers and what not.” He waved his hand around.

Steve nodded, swiping through data on his tablet without missing a beat. “Okay, well maybe someday I’ll go with you.”

Tony peeked upward at Steve, trying not to look too shook by Steve basically telling him he would like to see his vacation house someday.

They worked in not absolute, but near silence for the next few hours.

* * *

Hours later and both Tony and Steve had finally arrived at some ridiculously oversized mansion not too far away from the beach shore.

Tony stopped Steve short before they entered. “Just follow my lead, okay?” He smiled before walking ahead of Steve who nodded timidly.

They walked past a huge group of nicely dressed people gathered near the front of the mansion where valets were ushering people inside. Tony took a moment to observe his surroundings, just to see if anyone else he knew had been invited to the party. Strangely, he didn’t recognize any of Stark Industries’ usual competitors, which signaled to him that maybe Obadiah was dealing with either a new buyer or someone working on the black market.

_That’s so fucking bizarre…_Tony thought to himself.

Upon entering the mansion, both were stunned by how overly decorated the place had been, yet Tony had to pull Steve along who had been the most transfixed by the shear opulence of the space.

“Come on, Rogers.” Tony whispered, as he looped an arm around Steve’s, “we’re going to be late.”

“I thought you wanted us to show up late?” Steve scoffed.

Tony chuckled. “Fashionably late. Not I-don’t-have-my-shit-together late. There’s a _huge_ difference. Trust me.” He pointed to himself.

Steve rolled his eyes with a laugh as he let Tony drag him down one of the hallways. They walked for a while until they found a room with the door ajar. The color of the door matched the description given prior to Tony for the meeting location.

Tony unhooked himself from Steve before entering, knocking on the door before announcing himself. The room was just as ornate as the hallway; lavish statuary and drapery on full display. The two approached two women standing next to a desk. Both women looked unamused and extremely intimidating.

“Hello, I’m here to meet a Ms. Lupho and a Ms. Whoberis?” Tony held his hand out toward the two women perched against the desk, both staring him down with the strongest intent.

“Mr. Lieber, I presume?” One of the women, Lupho, held her hand out for Tony to shake.

Tony shook Lupho’s hand before turning toward Steve. “Yes, and this is my husband.” He said with an crafty grin.

Steve wordlessly acknowledged Tony with a curt nod, almost complete with a quizzical expression, but not quite. Tony had come up with the husband bit earlier in the hotel room while they were getting ready for the party, and of course Steve had been weird about it at first. Tony had mostly suggested the idea to get a rise out of him, but eventually Steve handled himself better with their pretend roles than Tony had expected.

Steve reached out his hand to greet the two women. “Nice to you meet you.” He shook both of their hands before wrapping an arm around Tony’s waist, pulling him in close for a snug half hug. Tony hugged him back, even tighter, which then turned into an odd game of who could act the most unbothered by pretending to be married to each other.

Both women nodded at the other before Whoberis rounded the desk to grab a tablet, seemingly ignoring Steve and Tony’s overt antics.

“We’ve been looking through your company files and we’re very impressed, Mr. Lieber. You seem like someone we could do business with.”

Tony let go of Steve to walk closer toward the desk. Lupho stood in place much like the statutory in the room, barely giving Tony some space as he approached.

“I’m glad I meet your standards.” Tony grinned at both Whoberis and Lupho before looking back at Steve.

Whoberis stared Tony down with the most unsettling expression before looking downward to swipe through more data on her tablet.

“We’ll have to reconvene with our team before we speak with you further.” Whoberis said coolly, not even taking a moment to acknowledge Tony directly.

“Please,” Lupho practically got into Tony’s personal space, also shooting him daggers, “enjoy the party. We’ll have one of our people send for you in a moment.”

Tony looked back and forth at the two women before answering; he was surprised by their abruptness, however, he managed to remain cool.

“Sounds like a plan.” He answered with a flashy PR grin.

Whoberis and Lupho looked at one another before exiting the room together, leaving Steve and Tony alone, both wondering to themselves how strange this whole thing turned out to be.

“Okay, so this isn’t _too_ bad.” Tony spun around to face a stern-looking Steve.

“Tony, stay close to me please. I don’t like this…” Steve put his hands into his pockets.

Tony whined as he walked up to Steve. He rested his hands on Steve’s arms before rubbing them.

“Rogers, chill. I’m not going to run off.” He grinned upward at Steve.

Steve sighed heavily as Tony finally let go of him before clapping his hands together with a huge smile.

“Let’s check out the rest of this party, shall we?” Tony kept grinning at Steve before heading toward the door.

Steve took a moment before following, making it obvious that he did not appreciate how bizarre their brief meeting with the buyers turned out to be. Tony waited for him at the threshold of the door, looping his arm around Steve’s almost immediately.

“Rogers,” he began in a low whisper, practically dragging Steve down the hallway again, “you need to relax. They’re arms dealers. They’re not people persons.” He tried lightheartedly, but the joke fell completely flat with Steve.

“Jesus, I should have introduced you as my no-nonsense bodyguard.” Tony snorted.

“I’m getting a bad feeling about this situation, Tony. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to be cautious.” Steve opposed, letting himself be pulled by Tony toward the main part of the house were most of the party guests were mingling and dancing.

Tony stopped them both before walking through the archway that opened into the space. He squeezed Steve’s arm, but not too hard.

“Rogers, I understand why you’re nervous, but I really don’t think we’re in any danger…” He stepped in front of Steve, sliding his hands up and down the latter’s arms.

“…but if you want to leave, we can.” Tony offered quietly. He wanted to get to the bottom of this deal with Obadiah, but he was also weary of making Steve feel uncomfortable while doing so. However, he also knew Steve wouldn’t leave without him.

Steve sighed heavily before looking somewhat downward at Tony. He looked away before looking back at him again, seemingly struggling with the proposal.

“No, we came all the way out here to protect Synergy and I don’t like bailing on something when I’ve already committed to it.” Steve said with resolute.

Tony smiled as he patted Steve on the arm. “There’s my spy partner.” He held on to Steve a bit longer which prompted Steve to start blushing from the attention.

Tony let go off Steve before turning around to lead them into the main area. They found a spot near the bar counter to settle, patiently waiting for the buyers to summon Tony. After a half an hour, Tony could feel himself becoming fidgety and impatient while Steve seemed relatively calm.

Tony sighed; he was drinking from a cocktail glass while glancing at his wristwatch.

“Okay, what’s the deal?”

Steve shrugged. “It’s probably a power move.” He answered casually, sipping out of his water glass as he watched a few couples dance.

Tony turned to look at Steve watching everyone else. “Uh, you know, you might be right, Rogers.” He acquiesced.

Steve smiled at him before placing his water glass on the counter behind them. He walked ahead of Tony before turning around with his hand outstretched.

“Wanna dance?” Steve ended the question with a cute shrug, almost mimicking the time Tony had asked him to dance at the board event.

Somewhat stunned at first, Tony immediately regrouped; after all, they were pretending to be married.

“Uh, sure?” Tony finally responded as he looked around himself awkwardly before taking Steve’s hand to follow him toward the other dancing couples.

Steve held on to Tony’s hand, closing the gap between them. Tony placed a hand on his shoulder as Steve positioned himself to take the lead, impressing Tony as he effortlessly began maneuvering them around to the rhythm of the music.

Tony took a moment before commenting; it felt as if Steve had been dancing for years.

“Are you sure you didn’t know how to dance?” Tony smiled at Steve.

Steve shrugged as he tightened the hold he had on Tony’s waist. “Like I said to you before, Tony, it helps having the right partner.” Referring to their last dance.

_Keep it together, Stark!_ Tony screamed in his head, attempting to project cool contentment as Steve held on to him with a strong yet tender grasp.

“Hey, is that…Tony Stark?”

Someone, near Tony and Steve, was whispering loudly to the person next to them. However, without missing a beat, Steve whisked himself and Tony away from the chatty couple, obscuring the bystanders’ view. Tony let relief and self-gratification with his new invention wash over him, but before he could really appreciate how well Steve took to dancing and how well the device seemed to work, his lips were meet instantly with Steve’s. Tony had to prevent his eyes from widening with shock as Steve squeezed his body as he kissed him.

“That’s not him. That’s just someone who _looks_ like him.”

Steve hugged Tony as he gently pressed up against his lips. After a few seconds, Tony finally eased up and kissed Steve back. Eventually, the mounting sensuality of the kiss between them caused Tony to break away, still holding on to Steve’s arms.

“Steve…?” Was all Tony could handle in an extremely low, surprised voice.

Steve, without responding verbally, only smiled at him sweetly before moving a hand to caress Tony’s face. The gap between them disappeared once again as Steve resumed kissing Tony. Tony let Steve hold him as Tony felt his body practically melt in Steve's hands. He slid a hand around Steve’s neck, pulling him as close as possible. The kiss lasted for a few seconds, but Tony could have sworn it felt like ages.

“Uh, Mr. Lieber? You’re needed in the billiard room, sir.”

The voice brought Tony back to reality as he reluctantly pulled himself away from Steve, but only a little; he now had a hand on Steve’s chest and Steve was still holding him close. Despite their current position, Tony managed to quarter turn to face one of the buyers' people addressing him.

Tony acknowledged the interloper before glancing upward at Steve; he smiled. “I gotta go…” he whispered, making a move to walk away from Steve, but now holding on to his hand.

Steve let go of Tony but let Tony hold his hand until the former was too far away in the direction of the billiard room to retain a firm grasp.

“Are you going to be okay, baby?” Tony asked Steve, with a cheeky smile, trying to force himself to remember that they were pretending to be married.

Steve nodded with amused grin as he slid his hands into his pockets. “Yep, I’ll be here when you get back.”

As he walked away from the scene, Tony couldn’t help but stare back at Steve, completely transfixed that they had just made out again. However, he needed to stay focused or their little act would be quickly discovered.

“You and your husband are very cute.” Tony’s billiard escort observed as they walked out of the main space.

Tony shrugged. “It’s mostly him, but thanks.” He answered as coolly as possible.

Tony wished, as he followed the escort, he had a minute or two to get his wits about him; something about Steve being all over him just now coupled with not having discussed the kiss after Thor’s party made him feel uneasy again. He managed to regroup quickly in time before approaching the door to the billiard room, but the sinking feeling from trying to figure out Steve was beginning to overrun his composure.

The escort led Tony into the room where he was coldly greeted by Whoberis, Lupho, and a couple of their associates. As soon as the door shut behind him, Tony flashed a toothy grin at everyone.

“So, what’s the verdict?” He asked, clapping his hands together before rubbing them.

Lupho handed Whoberis a tablet before crossing her arms. “It’s a deal. But we’ll need to get started on this soon.” Lupho responded.

Whoberis nodded, stepping in front of Lupho; the move appeared to irritate the latter.

“First we need to contact our boss, _then_ we’ll get in contact with you, but expect it to be soon.” Whoberis curtly corrected.

Tony looked back and forth between the two women, still trying to act as if the whole situation wasn’t the most bizarre thing he had ever encountered in his entire life, which was, of course, saying a lot.

Tony laughed. “Great. Looking forward.”

Tony stood in place, now waiting for anyone to add to the conversation, but it appeared, after a moment of complete silence, that the conversation had ended. One of the women’s associates walked up to Tony, motioning for him to exit the room. Tony continued to smile before spinning around to exit the room. As soon as he was out in the hallway, the door slammed shut behind him, nearly knocking him off balance.

_Okay, maybe Steve was right_…Tony wondered to himself before searching for Steve in the main part of the mansion. He found Steve chatting with someone at the buffet table.

Steve spotted Tony out of the corner of his eye, excusing himself from his conversation to greet Tony with a smile.

“Hey, how did it go?” He asked as he met Tony with an outstretched arm that landed on the latter’s waist.

Tony flinched as Steve drew nearer; he had trouble trying to reconcile Steve’s current behavior and the situation they had stumbled into.

“They’re in, but…” Tony looked behind himself before turning more into Steve’s embrace, “…I think you might have been right.”

Steve looked more concerned than Tony had ever seen him. “Tony, are you all right?”

Tony shook his head. “I’m fine, but I don’t think we’re dealing with run-of-the-mill buyers. Let’s get out of here.”

Steve nodded, letting Tony take a hold of his arm. They quickly left the mansion, taking a cab to their hotel which wasn’t too far away from the event. The entire car ride over, Tony was dead silent: mulling over whatever Obadiah had gotten himself into and whatever the hell was going on with Steve.

_What the actual fuck?_ Tony leaned on the car window, with his head in his hand. He could feel Steve rubbing his shoulder which was making it more difficult to think straight.

Once they reached the hotel, Tony remained just as quiet as he had been in the car. He could sense that Steve had picked up on but chose to remain silent as well in order to give him some space. They rode the elevator up to their floor, still silent, neither one really filling the void until they reached their room. Steve let Tony enter first who walked to the opposite side of the room, his back facing Steve who lingered near the door before walking further into the room.

“You know,” Tony could hear Steve begin, “despite how shady everything was, at least you managed to get some info—”

“What the hell was all of that?” Tony interrupted as he turned around with his arms crossed.

To Tony, Steve looked incredibly confused.

“All of what?"

Tony rolled his eyes before leaning on one leg, now resting his hands on his hips.

“All of the husband shit at the event.”

Tony watched Steve take his time before answering. “Aren’t you the one who came up with the pretending to be married plan? I only acted how I would if I were…”

Tony contorted his face, steeped in suspicion. “That’s not exactly what I meant, and you know it…” He stopped himself, relaxing his face before trying again,” you didn’t have to kiss me…

Silence hung once more in the air as unmistakable tension resurfaced between the two. Tony watched Steve mentally battle with himself before coming up with a good excuse. He sighed before taking a breath.

“Okay, I’m sorry, Tony…I didn’t realize that was over stepping boundaries…”

_He didn't realize…?_ Tony couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he was unable to contribute anything intelligent.

“…I guess I got caught up in the moment…just playing the part like we agreed, right?” Steve added, attempting a half shrug coupled with a weak smile.

_You have to be fucking kidding me._ Tony clenched his fists, shuffling before crossing his arms. Should he mention what happened after Thor’s party now? He could easily ruin their trip by excusing Steve of playing games with him, but they needed to be clear headed to focus on the shit with Obadiah.

Tony took a moment before answering. He looked directly at Steve. “Nice work then, Rogers. I don’t know anything about acting, but you definitely deserved an Oscar for _that_ performance.” Tony ended with the sharpest edge to his voice, simmering on Steve’s erratic behavior.

And it was obvious that Tony had struck a cord with Steve; the object of Tony’s ire/affection was now cycling through a variety of expressions before settling on one that looked remorseful.

“Tony…I’m…” Steve began.

Tony shook his head as he uncrossed his arms, indicating that he was done with the conversation. He marched past Steve toward the bathroom before Steve stopped him gently with an outstretched arm.

“Tony, I’m sorry…it won’t happen again…” He whispered.

Tony rolled his eyes, but then looked away from Steve. “Rogers, it’s fine. You just caught me off guard, okay?”

Steve slowly withdrew his arm which allowed Tony to rushed off to the bathroom, nearly slamming the door behind him.

_Jesus…_was all Tony could think as he hugged the bathroom door. He sighed deeply before turning on the shower.


	17. Chapter 17

_Later that night…_

Steve’s body wrenched him away from his sleep. He sat up in bed, struggling to sense his surroundings as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, finally remembering that he was in a hotel room on the west coast. He shook his head before looking over toward the bed next to him, noticing right away that it was empty. He glanced upward to see that the curtains to the balcony had been drawn open, revealing a figure sitting on one of the chaise lounges near the railing. Steve ran a hand through his hair a few times before pulling the sheets off his body. He took his time swinging his legs off the bed before rising to walk over to the balcony.

“Tony?” Steve whispered softly as he approached the opening to the balcony. He looked downward to find Tony reclining on the furniture, fully awake.

Tony, as he turned his head at the sound of Steve’s voice, looked startled before relaxing. “Oh, Rogers…sorry. Can’t sleep…”

Steve nodded; he hesitated before walking any further beyond the threshold of the balcony.

“May I sit next to you?” He asked, pointing to the chaise lounge Tony was sitting on.

Tony nodded once as he shuffled around to provide some room for Steve to sit next to him. After Steve settled next to him, both men stared at the beach; the few lights surrounding the landscape only hinted at the dark coloring of the water below them.

Steve sat near the edge of the furniture; he felt like scooting closer toward Tony but was hyper self-conscious of how it would be perceived. After all, Steve was still embarrassed about the whole kiss situation at the event.

To be perfectly honest, Steve _had _been caught up in the moment. Although he felt initially weird about pretending to be married to Tony, knowing that his more unreserved spy partner had suggested so in order to get a rise out of him, the thought had grown on Steve as the night progressed. Upset with himself for misreading the situation, Steve had thought that maybe the moment on the dance floor would serve as the perfect opportunity to show Tony how he truly felt. However, he had no idea Tony would react so poorly. 

But as Steve filed through the memory of his past actions, Tony ended up scooting closer toward him instead, slowly closing the gap.

“Is it about the buyers?” Steve asked quietly after a moment. He could feel Tony’s stress levels and was attempting not to add to it again.

Tony let out a sigh. “That and everything else bugging the shit out of me.” He glanced quickly as Steve with a feeble smile.

Steve smiled back, retaining a tender expression. To him, Tony no longer appeared upset about the kiss, yet Steve remained wary; he told himself to wait for Tony to continue.

“…I don’t know what I’m going to do about Obie. This shit feels like its way over my head…” Tony groaned as he put his head into his hands. Steve hesitated before placing a hand on his back. He gently rubbed as he continued to wait for Tony to finish.

“…I know someone or multiple people at Stark Industries are helping him. That’s the only way he’ll get away with this, but…” Tony cut himself off.

Steve stopped rubbing Tony’s back. “But what, Tony?”

“Not to belabor the point, but _something_ doesn’t feel right. There’s more to it than just inside help, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.” He sighed heavily once more.

Steve paused before responding. “Tony…I don’t think you’re incapable of figuring out what’s going on, but I understand why you feel frustrated.”

“…I should have had you in there with me during that meeting…just to collaborate whether I sound paranoid…” Tony finally volunteered slowly.

Steve grimaced; he also believed he should have been in the meeting but figured Tony had handled himself fine.

“…everything seemed so abrupt…as if they already had their minds made up and were just waiting for us…” Tony concluded.

Steve sighed. He wanted to leave Malibu as quickly as possible; this whole amateur spying thing was starting to sound like a bad idea. However, he was glad that he had convinced Tony to let him tag along. Who knows what would have happened to him if he were alone?

“…I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get back to sleep.” Tony added, his head hanging low.

Steve nodded but before he could add anything Tony looked up at him with a coy grin.

“You know…I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since the time I accidentally passed out in your bed, Rogers.” Tony smiled meekly at Steve.

However, Steve smiled back, fully thinking that everything between the two of them was back to normal now.

“You can sleep with me, if it’ll help, Tony."

Steve’s smile fell as he watched Tony’s face suddenly contort into several expressions until it landed on absolute incredulity.

“Okay, what’s going on, Rogers?” He asked in the boldest tone.

Steve scrunched up his face, trying not to look so shocked. “Uh…what do you mean?” He asked slowly, his hand now sliding away from Tony. Based on the interaction from earlier that night, Steve knew he needed to choose his words carefully, but he wasn’t sure what to say.

Tony rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Come on…really? This,” he gestured back and forth between himself and Steve, “whatever _this _is.”

Steve waited, although he was sure he looked completely terrified. Pushing himself beyond his usual dating limits was turning out to be the worst thing he had ever done. He wished he had taken his time like he had done in the past. Now Tony sounded more upset with him than about the kiss and he feared his actions might not only ruin their personal relationship, but also Project Synergy.

Steve breathed deeply, thinking quickly about how to salvage the conversation. “Tony, I care about you...you’re my friend.” He tried as he took a hold of Tony’s hands much like Tony had done before.

Tony knitted his brow with irritation, but he didn’t pull away from Steve. “I’m your ‘friend’? Okay.”

Steve couldn’t stop his face from expressing terror as he clearly heard the invisible quotation marks around the word “friend”.

_Okay, I really did screw up. _Steve blamed himself.

Steve’s brow furrowed with determination. “Of course, Tony. I wouldn’t say that if it weren’t true.” But that didn’t seem to help either. The statement only made Tony groan some more.

Steve watched as Tony looked away from him, unaware that he was causing Tony so much stress on top on the arms dealers confrontation. Steve hesitated before continuing again.

“Tony, I’m sorry if I offended you. I didn’t mean to,” he began, placing a hand on Tony’s back, “maybe we should get some sleep and talk about it in the morning?”

This whole situation, or thing—was it a thing?—with Tony was so confusing to Steve. At times, Tony would be willing but then he would pull away or get upset. They had a discussion about boundaries before leaving for Malibu, but then they were all over each other at the mansion. Tony even came up the pretending to be married plan. Even now, they were touching each other, but the conversation felt tense and not intimate.

“Tony…” Steve started. He looked downward, taking his hand away from Tony’s back to clasp it together with the other in his lap. He felt so terrible for possibly offending Tony, again.

Tony looked over at him, now waiting patiently for Steve to continue although he wore the most painful-looking expression on his face.

“…I just wanted to apologize again…for earlier…I’m really sorry…” Steve let the sentence drag out through agony.

Tony perked up. He sat up straight, watching Steve before answering. “Rogers. I said it was fine.” He answered in a harsh tone which caused Steve to recoil somewhat.

Both stared at each other before quickly looking away at the beach. Steve inhaled and exhaled sharply before looking over at Tony who was now looking everywhere else except in his direction.

Steve took his time before addressing Tony; he could feel Tony pulling away from him again and figured it was probably best to talk in the morning.

“…we should get some sleep. We have to leave early tomorrow to get back to the lab, right?” He asked softly.

After a minute or so, Tony turned slowly to directly face Steve. He swallowed before responding. Steve began to fidget due to how uncomfortable the situation had become. Without answering verbally, Tony nodded before rising from the chaise lounge; his expression suddenly switched as if they just hadn’t had a very awkward and tense conversation.

“Okay,” Tony started as he turned to exit the balcony, “I’ll admit you’re right, Rogers.” He said as he reentered the hotel room. Steve waited before following; he watched Tony walk over to the space in between the two beds, crossing his arms with a weak smile.

Steve forced himself to smile back, although it was becoming difficult to do so considering whatever was going on between the two of them. He took his time reentering the room, walking over to the side of the bed he was sleeping on before waking up and climbed in. Tony slid in right after him, hugging the edge. Neither said a word to the other the rest of the night.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

“I think we have more than enough information to proceed.”

Obadiah was back once again in Thanos’s office, but this time the scientist’s unusually small office space was cramped with two other people.

“But with caution of course. Remember the last time, Gamora?”

Obadiah sat in complete disbelief as he watched the two women who met Tony and Steve at the event that evening bicker in front of him. He still had trouble comprehending that tech crime seemed to run in Thanos’s family; the two women, Gamora and Nebula, were also the scientist’s daughters and they were aggressively debating with each other on how best to wreck the Synergy device once the team went back into the field.

Thanos was sitting at his desk while his daughters were on opposite ends of the office. Obadiah sat in a chair near the desk, trying not to get caught in the vitriol between the two.

_The melodramatics in this family are astounding…_Obadiah thought to himself, managing to project ease while Gamora and Nebula grilled each other.

“I’m aware, Nebula. However, whatever caution you exude often gets trampled by your penchant for anger.” Gamora scoffed at her sister.

Thanos chuckled as he listened to his daughters squabble. Eventually, he waved a hand to get the two to cease before turning toward Obadiah. Obadiah frowned before shooting Thanos a grin.

“Since we know that the device can be easily manipulated, have your person proceed, but wait for further instructions.” Thanos coolly commanded.

Obadiah nodded, but he was annoyed on the inside as he thought back to the last board presentation when the team simulated the highway car crash. His contact in the labs had managed to tamper with the device off hours, which is the real reason why the device was shaking uncontrollably while Steve was inputting figures. Obadiah had expected the mistake to reflect poorly on Tony, but that meddling Steve Rogers had managed to salvage the calculations somehow.

_Mr. Rogers is proving to be more of a pain than Anthony._ Obadiah whined to himself.

“That’s fine. Anthony sent out a memo that he’ll be back from the west coast tomorrow afternoon.” Obadiah volunteered.

However, everyone else just stared at him as if he were an alien from outer space. Obadiah returned the stare before clapping his hands together, cracking a huge fake smile.

“Well, right then. Keep in touch.” He said as he waved a hand, getting up to exit the room quickly.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Thanos motioned toward his daughters with a grin.

“How long do we need him?” Gamora inquired, absolutely exasperated.

Thanos kept grinning as he interlaced his fingers. “Just long enough until he delivers us the device. Then we’ll cut him loose.”

* * *

_The next morning…_

The crashing sound from the waves woke Tony up instantly. He tried sitting up straight but then realized that he was tangled up with Steve on the latter’s bed in their hotel room. Terrified, Tony tried to pull himself free as his companion slept but began jerking around too much. He yanked on a blanket that had been wrapped around his leg and Steve’s body, but the force of the pull and his increasing panic propelled him off the side of the bed.

Tony hit the floor in the space between the two beds with a loud thud. As he reeled from the impact, he looked up to see the mattress dip and rise with Steve’s body before he looked over the edge of the bed downward at Tony.

“Tony! Are you all right?” Steve asked, reaching his arm out for Tony to grab.

Tony rubbed an imaginary bump on his head as he squinted upward at Steve. “I’m fine.” He muttered, now more embarrassed that he had fallen off the bed than waking up basically lying on top of Steve.

Tony attempted to ignore Steve’s outstretched hand, but by this time, Steve had scooted himself closer to the edge to peer over the side of the mattress, wearing a kind-hearted smile. Tony was incredible annoyed, mostly with himself, but also with last night and the entire trip, but something about Steve’s jovial presence managed to break through his misery.

Tony gave in and crack a smile as he grabbed Steve’s hand. He let Steve pull him up to sit next to him on the bed, but Tony made sure to stay near the edge.

“What time do we need to leave again?” Steve asked through a yawn and a stretch.

Tony kept his eyes away from Steve as he continued to stretch, almost revealing skin as his shirt lifted.

“In a couple hours. Should get us back in time to get a few hours in the lab.”

Steve nodded before getting up from the bed to walk toward the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Tony launched himself across his bed, almost sliding off the silky cover in the process as he grabbed his phone on the nightstand. He tapped once to pull up Rhodey’s number from his favorite’s list.

**Tony:** I slept with Steve last night!

Tony stared at the draft before deleting the entire message.

**Tony:** Rhodes, I have no clue what’s going on with Steve. We slept together last night, like in the same bed. Help?

Tony shook his head as he deleted the message. He took a deep breath before tapping on his phone again.

**Tony:** Help. I have no idea what I’m doing.

Tony let out a sigh as he fell onto his back on the bed with his arm dangling off the edge clenching his phone. Last night’s conversation with Steve had been so fucking weird. Tony’s mind spun from the confused mess: he had trouble trying to figure out why Steve would get so close then apologize profusely for being so close. And why he seemed so cool with Tony now even though he ran out of the penthouse after Thor’s party.

As he heard the shower turn on in the bathroom, Tony thought about Steve possibly being embarrassed that they were getting so close. If so, why wouldn’t he say so? Tony had never been so hung on someone before and it was totally nerve racking.

Tony held his phone above his head as he stared at the last message to Rhodey. He saved it as a draft, deciding, or really forcing himself, to get Steve to be honest with him, but figured he could do so when they got back to New York; he needed some time to figure out how to broach the subject calmly, which was something a therapist told him he needed to work on.

Tony turned his head toward the direction of the bathroom; he listened to the shower running. He sighed once more before staring upward at the ceiling.

* * *

Tony and Steve barely spoke to one another as the private jet carried them from the west coast back to New York, landing in Queens at the undisclosed location Tony was storing his unmarked gadgets. They spoke even less as Tony drove them back to Stark Tower, and the tension was at an all-time high as soon as they arrived back to their lab, just in time to get a few more working hours in before calling it a day.

As he approached his usual workstation, Steve finally checked his text messages. He found a few from Sam asking him how his trip with Tony was, undoubtedly wearing that goofy smile while crafting those messages. Steve sighed to himself as he thought about the entire trip.

_I’m so bad at this…_Steve criticized himself. He quickly replied to Sam to let him know that he’ll be home a little later and that the trip was fine. And of course, it hadn’t been; Tony would barely speak to him the entire trip back. To Steve, it almost felt as if his partner was struggling with beginning a conversation but Steve figured that their relationship had so deteriorated from his antics at the event that now they could hardly communicate on small talk terms. Steve no longer felt the camaraderie he used to feel with Tony, and it was making him feel terrible.

But before Steve could really dwell on his missteps with trying to flirt like everyone else, Tony’s voice interrupted his mental torture.

“Steve…,” Tony began. The serious tone was evident in Tony’s choice to address Steve by his first name.

Steve took his time turning around from his station to face Tony. He looked downward before glancing upward slightly.

“…we _really_ need to talk about what happened after Thor’s party…” Tony finished quietly; arms crossed.

Steve sighed as he placed his hands on his hips.

“Tony…to be honest, I’m really embarrassed…” Steve thought back to the dream he had about Tony before waking up in his bed. He took a deep breath, before looking upward to face Tony who looked sullen. Steve had never seen him look so sad before.

Tony shuffled before looking away. He slowly turned his head to look at Steve again. “…because it was with me, right?” He asked.

_I definitely did something stupid…_Steve worried to himself, yet something about the phrase “with me” was a tad unsettling. As he ruminated on Tony’s question, Steve began to torture himself again over what he could have possibly done to ruin his relationship with Tony.

“N-no…uh, w-what do you mean?” Steve tried his best not to sound utterly perplexed and horrified by whatever he might have done.

Tony looked quite puzzled himself. “We, uh…well…don’t you—”

“Stark. Rogers.” Before the two men could directly address their issue, Fury’s voice filtered in through their earpieces.

“There’s been a call about a possible bomb threat at police precinct 16. I’ve been in contact with Romanov and Barton and am in the process of locating Dr. Blake and Dr. Banner, but I need the two of you to head over there immediately…”

Both Steve and Tony quickly glanced at each other before sprinting out of the lab.

“The local police are surrounding the area, but I’m getting a reading from Romanov and Barton that this isn’t your grandma’s Sunday dinner explosive…” Fury continued.

Both Steve and Tony hopped into the employee express elevator to get to the mezzanine level with the helicopter.

“…the Synergy device is more than capable of replicating the materials you’ll need to diffuse it.” Fury concluded.

Silence reared itself again as both Steve and Tony tried to focus on the mission, but both were incredibly confused by their awkward conversation in the lab. In the helicopter, Tony maneuvered them away from the Tower as they headed toward the precinct.

* * *

Needless to say, neither Steve nor Tony were on their A-game. They landed on a helicopter pad at a nearby building before hustling to the precinct. As they approached the building, the rest of the team was busying themselves with moving bystanders out of the way.

On the way over, Tony had been trying to find the best thing to say to Steve, but it was obvious from their exchange in the lab that Steve was about to confess that he wasn’t really into Tony, essentially playing games with him the whole time, even if unintentionally.

_Like I keep saying, I don’t know why I even try_. Tony thought to himself as he searched the scene.

He found a police officer near the entrance of the building, scratching her head as she communicated with her bomb team inside. Tony walked up to her with his hand outstretched, but she didn’t take it.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to step to the side.” The officer shooed Tony away as she returned to her communicator.

Tony looked behind himself to see that Steve was closely behind him. He forced himself to focus on the situation in front of them.

“Uh, we’re here to help, officer. Tony Stark.” Tony reached out his hand again for the officer.

Instead of taking his hand, the officer gave him the once over. “Yeah, I know who you are, but like I told your boss—”

“—Fury _isn’t_ my boss.” Tony interjected. He had never felt so insulted in his entire life.

The office rolled her eyes with a huff as she continued. “Well, like I told the Shaft wannabe then, we don’t need the alphabet boys interfering in our jurisdiction.”

Tony frowned as he glanced back at Steve again. He really didn’t need this bullshit on top of everything else.

“Look, officer,” Tony stepped in front of the police officer to get her to pay direct attention to him. She conveyed her annoyance with Tony invading her space as she slowly crossed her arms.

“We’re not interfering, we can help you.” Tony pointed toward the precinct, “that bomb your team is trying to disarm is _way_ above their pay grade.”

The officer removed her sunglasses to study Tony. He stared back at her before cracking a smile, but the officer scoffed, unimpressed.

“My team is experienced. What do you have that they don’t?” The officer inquired with her arms crossed again. She tapped her sunglasses against her folded arm.

Tony took a moment, trying to suppress his irritation, before motioning for Steve to hand him the bag containing the Synergy device.

“Remember that diplomat that almost died a few months back?” Tony carefully unveiled part of the device to show the officer, “this is the same device that saved him.”

The officer’s mouth dropped open as she glanced at Tony then the device then back at Tony before craning her neck to gawk at Steve. Tony nodded at her with a widening grin as the realization set in.

The officer back away immediately, whipping out her communicator again. “All units stand down. Repeat, all units stand down.”

Tony gave the officer a thumbs up before waving for Steve to follow him inside the precinct. As they entered, they were met with semi darkness: all of the lights in the building had been turned off which cultivated the eeriest vibe as Steve and Tony took their time entering. Tony handed the Synergy device to Steve before pulling a tablet out of his bag.

“It looks like whatever this thing is, it’s in the basement.” Tony said to Steve quietly.

Steve nodded without a word as he followed Tony to the basement, using building plans that had been uploaded to his tablet. Tony tapped a few times on his earpiece before decreasing his pacing.

“Banner, we’re inside. I think it’ll be best for the rest of the team to stay put outside while Rogers and I get these specs. We’ll send them to you and Thor then switch places…no telling how sensitive this thing is…” Tony whispered as he motioned for Steve to wait for him to clear the area before they entered the basement.

As he approached the stairs to the basement, Tony looked around cautiously before producing two neatly folded head flashlights from his pocket for himself and Steve. He waved behind him for Steve to follow as they slowly descended the stairs, single file.

“Rogers,” Tony began, “set yourself up a few feet away from the explosive. We shouldn’t need to get close.”

Steve nodded as he walked ahead of Tony, accidentally bumping into him in the process. Tony sharply sucked in a breath of air, holding still as Steve passed.

Steve inched as close to the explosive as possible while still giving himself a safe distance to generate specs. Tony watched Steve press a few buttons on the device before giving him a thumbs up, indicating that he was ready to proceed.

“Ready when you are, Tony.”

Tony nodded before pulling up the equations Natasha managed to locate on his tablet, but something was amiss; he had never seen such a mathematical construction before, well not in real life. It was obvious that they were dealing with something out of the ordinary.

Tony inhaled deeply before attempting to solve the equations. As he read off the solutions and Steve entered them into the device, the device hummed quietly, but it wouldn’t generate any of the material.

Steve looked over at Tony. “What’s going on?”

Tony shook his head, trying to keep cool. “I don’t know, Rogers. I’ve never seen this before…”

“Tony, what’s the hold up?” Bruce's voice filtered in through Steve’s and Tony’s earpieces.

Tony shook his head again before backing up one step. “I don’t know…the device won’t generate the detonator.”

Steve started to move, but Tony motioned for him to stand still.

“Bruce, I’m restricting you to a closed channel.” Tony switched the channel to a private one. He managed to close it to everyone else, but because Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S. sync the mini teams to each other’s earpiece, Steve was still on the channel.

“Tony…we might have to implement the failsafe…” Tony didn’t have to be in the same room to feel Bruce staring at him intently.

Tony groaned loudly without verbally responding to Bruce, but the conversation wasn’t lost on Steve who stood up swiftly to glare at Tony.

“What’s Dr. Banner talking about, Tony?” The words sounded so stern that Tony couldn’t even look Steve directly in the eye.

Tony sighed. “Bruce and I created a backup plan for the device in case, well, in case this happens.” He pointed toward the device.

The device was now shuttering, but not to the point of shaking violently. Tony knew they had to do something soon before the vibranium core failed to keep the device stable.

Steve’s facial expression grew even more concerned. His brow crinkled with indignation as he approached the stairs to confront Tony.

“What backup plan? Am I the only one who doesn’t know about this?”

Tony shook his head a few times. “No. Everyone else is also unaware. Even Fury. Banner and I are the only ones…”

Tony could hear Bruce swear through the channel in their earpieces.

Steve stood at the bottom of the staircase as he continued to glare upward at Tony; Tony had never seen Steve so angry before.

“What’s the backup plan, Tony?”

Tony exhaled deeply. “It…self-destructs the device in case it's compromised.

Steve scrunched up his face as it became clear that he was furious.

“Tony. You _can’t_ be serious. Why would you keep this a secret? Everyone deserves to know. You’re putting people’s lives in danger!” Tony cringed as Steve’s voice rose toward the end.

Tony held up his hands to get Steve to calm down. He was still unsure of the explosive’s sensitivity.

“We worked out the blast radius and no one is going to get hurt. I promise, Steve. Trust me on this.”

Steve glared angrily at Tony before marching past him and up the stairs to exit the basement.

“Where are you going?” Tony half-whispered, half-shouted after Steve, trying to get him to slow down by gently grabbing him by the arm but the other had yanked it away defiantly.

“I’m getting everyone outside away from the building before this thing blows. How much time do we have?” Steve answered coldly, never looking back at Tony.

Tony sighed; he knew he screwed up with not being transparent about the failsafe, but he couldn’t address it now.

“Just get everyone about hundred feet away…but I would say ten to twelve minutes.”

Steve didn’t respond as he continued out of the basement. Tony turned around to face the device.

“Bruce...help Steve get people away from the building...” He directed in the lowest, saddest tone although Bruce had awkwardly witnessed every single word exchanged.

“Tony? Are you going to be okay?” Bruce asked. Tony could tell that his friend was trying to mediate between being concerned for his safety and the tension he had recreated with Steve.

“Yeah…I’m setting it now…” Tony walked slowly toward the device before leaning downward to input the failsafe code. He let out an uneasy sigh; they were more than capable with reconstructing the device, but now Tony was frustrated with how Steve reacted.

Tony entered the code as delicately as possible before sprinting out of the basement then the building to help the rest of the team clear the area for the blast radius.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> I know things are difficult if you or someone close to you lives in a country hit hardest by COVID-19. And I know you're reading fanfiction to escape, so I'll keep this short: I wanted to thank every single one of you for reading/commenting on this. :) I live in the US and my family lives in Washington State (the state with the first outbreaks). I attend Columbia University in New York which moved online, but I live in Philadelphia so I've been stuck in my apartment with my boyfriend and my cat. Writing this story is really my only escape at the moment, so I just wanted you all to know that I'm going to keep writing and posting. It gives me absolute joy! :D
> 
> Anyway, please stay well. :) 
> 
> P.S. This chapter contains references to post-traumatic stress disorder and childhood neglect.
> 
> \--lady_slice

_Several hours later…_

After clearing bystanders away from the building, the team watched as the blast radiated from the precinct, indicating that the failsafe had detonated successfully. The terrifying, yet nearly silent, implosion collapsed the precinct, taking some of the surrounding buildings with it.

The obvious positive outcome of the implosion resulted in the destruction of the mysterious explosive, which perished under the weight of the Synergy device. However, one of the negative outcomes resulted in the Stark Industries board—in a last-minute, rushed memo sent to the team after they cleaned up the mess—deciding to postpone the Synergy program until Tony and Bruce figured out how to rebuild the device with new safety measures.

“I don’t know whose fault this is, but this can’t happen again. We had a deal, Stark!”

The team had gathered in one of the medium-sized conference rooms in Stark Tower, worn from the day’s events. Fury was planted firmly in the front of the room, fuming at both Tony and Bruce. He had his hands on his hips, raising his voice with every syllable.

Tony, who was standing next to Bruce and Thor on one side of the conference room, shrugged before answering.

“If you’re going to blame anyone, blame me,” he pointed behind himself at Bruce, “Banner only went along because I asked him.”

Fury crossed his arms, spewing an invisible cloud of frustration. “How could the device get jammed?”

Tony sighed as he turned a few degrees to look at Bruce before turning to face Fury again. “It’s only been built once. Could have been a problem with the circuity.”

Steve was standing in the opposite corner of the room next to Natasha and Clint, dead silent, yet enraged by Tony’s behavior.

Bruce adjusted his eyeglasses. “I remember reading in the Synergy archive that there was a possibility that the device could be compromised based on some issues related to its original design. The failsafe was only used to protect against that.”

Fury sighed as he hung his head low before peeking upward at the team. Some shuffled around uncomfortably.

Fury looked directly at Tony and Bruce. “This can’t happen again,” he wagged a finger in their direction, “just fix it expeditiously _and_ safely, please.”

Fury glanced around the room once more before exiting swiftly. “I need to smooth this over with the board,” he concluded on his way out.

Steve could barely look at Tony, let alone be in the same room with him. He had no idea about this failsafe and the device implosion could have killed innocents. Ever since getting to know his partner, Steve believed he could trust him. Yet, he had trouble trying to comprehend Tony keeping something so crucial from him.

_The team._ Steve corrected himself as he watched Tony walk to the front of the conference room to address everyone.

“Well, team. This is just a minor set—”

“—Tony, you could have gotten people killed!” Steve ultimately blurted out.

His raised voice hushed the room instantaneously.

Bruce walked up to the conference table as if he were about to interject, but Tony waved him off. As he crossed his arms, Tony’s face hardened before he broke out into a bizarre, quiet laugh. He then rested his hands on his hips, knowing he was on the verge: not only did the fucking device he was saddled with not work like it should, he knew he was near the precipice of getting into with Steve.

“I’m sorry, Rogers, but _who_ figured out how to get the device up and running? And, no one got hurt.” Tony pointed to himself as he glared at Steve.

Bruce attempted to interrupt again, but Tony stopped him as he rounded the conference table to confront Steve who stood his ground as he approached.

“That’s no substitution for caution, Tony. It bothers me that you don’t even care about your own safety. You are _so_ reckless.” Steve uncrossed his arms to point defiantly at Tony who was inches away.

The last time anyone had called Tony reckless—and it stung—was his dad. The memory blinded Tony with rage; this person he was beginning to trust, his so-called “teammate”, or whatever the hell was going on between the two of them, was treating him like a petulant child in front of everyone.

“Hey, watch _it_, Rogers. Don’t talk down to me, okay? Last time I checked, I was the one who hired _you_, not the other way around.” Tony pointed back at Steve before turning around to walk away from him. He exhaled before placing his hands on his hips. By this time, the rest of the team remained absolutely still.

“Tony, how can I—we trust you,” Steve pointed to everyone else in the room as he corrected himself again, “if you’re not honest about the project?”

Tony spun around, squinting at Steve before laughing out loud, too loudly for comfort.

“Oh, you have _your_ nerve about being honest, Captain Rogers.” He crossed his arms again.

The accusation made Steve’s face wrinkle. “Me? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Steve’s seemingly unwillingness to come clean about everything up until that point made Tony tilt his head backward as he scrunched up his face.

“You _can’t_ be serious, Rogers.”

Steve sighed. He took his time, realizing that their conversation had escalated. However, Tony was pushing his limits.

“No, Tony. You don’t get to do that. I’m basically walking on eggs shells around you. I don’t really know what you want from me…”

Tony looked grim as he glared back at Steve, too angry to respond verbally. Steve reciprocated the expression, obviously too angry to clarify. To both, it felt as if they were the only people in room, but of course the entire team was still witnessing their exceedingly tensed argument.

“Um…,” Clint started in a low voice, leaning on Natasha, “are we still talking about the failsafe…?” He murmured, dragging out the words with cautious-laden bafflement.

Bruce sighed as he walked up to Steve and Tony who continued to stare the other down.

“Hey, guys, maybe we can taper down a bit on the—”

“—Banner, stand down, okay?” Tony interrupted.

“—Dr. Banner, I’m sorry, but this doesn’t really concern you.” Steve nearly added in time with Tony.

Bruce’s mouth bobbed opened once or twice before he took the hint, backing away slowly as he mouthed the word “okay” with his hands up in a halting position.

Tony wedged himself into Steve’s personal space. “Egg shells? You’re the one playing games, Rogers.”

Steve’s eyes widened from the charge before his expression became harsh. He moved closer to Tony, his face mere inches away from the latter.

“Games?” To Steve, Tony was the one who would get angry any time they got close.

Tony laughed again as he looked slightly upward at Steve. “Yes, _games_. You act all cute and innocent, but I’m on to you.” He answered, now practically wagging his finger in Steve’s face. To Tony, Steve was the one who kept sending mixed signals.

Thor coughed a few times which caused both Steve and Tony to twist around and visibly direct their wrath toward him.

“Uh, my sincerest apologies…” Thor began, “…but I am very uncomfortable…”

Natasha sighed as she walked over to Steve and Tony, attempting to deescalate the tension, but before she could say or do anything productive, one of the interns barged into the room with a knock at the door.

“Uh, Mr. Stark?” The intern looked around the room as his voice trembled with intimidation, “I-I need your signature…”

Tony waved the intern off before addressing him. He pointed back at Steve as he stormed out of the conference.

“Talk to him. I just pay for everything.”

The intern watched Tony leave before looking at Steve. Steve sighed before marching out of the room in the opposite direction of Tony.

“Have Ms. Potts sign it.” Bruce removed his eyeglasses to rub the bridge of his nose as he motioned toward the frightened intern to exit the conference room.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Steve hung his head before pressing the intercom to the lobby in Stark Tower. It was late, perhaps a little too late.

The lobby was empty save for the security guard at the front desk. On the way over, Steve scolded himself for not calling first. He knew he should have called, but he didn’t want to run the risk of Tony not answering. He thought that if maybe Tony saw him in the lobby, he would see that Steve was truly sincere about making amends.

After stomping out conference room, both Tony and Steve managed to avoid each other the rest of the day: Steve went back to the lab, and Tony had retreated to his office. However, after ruminating on their argument and sulking alone in his apartment, Steve finally decided that it was probably best to talk to Tony in person. It was obvious that the failsafe fiasco had only heightened their issues.

Once inside the building, Steve steadied himself before pressing the number to the penthouse, which was left unmarked for security purposes. He took his time pressing then waited. The intercom clicked before buzzing, indicating that the private express elevator had been unlocked for Steve to access.

Steve exhaled with relief as he entered the elevator; he wasn’t sure Tony would let him up. Steve scanned his fingerprint before he leaned against the back wall of the elevator. He agonized over what he was going to say to Tony once they greeted each other. The elevator flew past each floor until it reached the penthouse; the shaft stopped promptly before opening its doors to reveal a very worn-out looking Tony.

Steve swallowed a lump in his throat; he had never seen Tony this exhausted. Steve knew he needed to apologize for calling his lab partner reckless and questioning his loyalty to the team.

“Tony, I—”

Tony waved Steve off. “Rogers, I screwed up. I should have told you—the team about the failsafe.”

Steve felt miserable; based on the fight that had erupted in front of the team, it was obvious that both were still reeling from their conversation in the lab earlier that day.

“Tony—,” Steve hesitated before entering the penthouse. “May I come in?”

Tony nodded once before turning to head further into his home. Steve followed, remarking to himself that this would be the first time he would see more of Tony’s place. As Tony entered his kitchen, Steve waited at the threshold to the space. He watched Tony walk to the island in the middle of the kitchen, opening a bottle with something brown in it before pouring himself a glass. Steve walked up to the counter, placing his hands on the edge.

“Tony, do you think that’s a good idea?” He asked quietly, yet sternly, concerned for the state of his friend.

Tony glanced upward at Steve mid pour with a weak grin. He placed the bottle down on the counter and sighed loudly.

“Are you policing my everyday actions now, Rogers?”

Steve could tell that he was attempting a joke, but he wouldn’t give Tony the satisfaction of finding it funny.

“This isn’t funny, Tony. I’m worried about you…” Steve’s voice stayed the same level of quiet, never taking his eyes off Tony.

Tony rolled his eyes with a brusque laugh. “Everyone always says they’re worried about me when they should be worried about themselves.” He drained the half pour before slamming the glass on the counter. He then turned to march out of the kitchen.

Steve wasted zero time following him closely behind, arriving in a room lined with dark wood paneling. There were floor-to-ceiling bookcases along each wall, complete with a fashionably antique record player positioned next to a small ornate sofa. Steve looked around to find a desk at the end of the room with a mound of books and papers stacked on top of it. It looked like Tony’s office, from what Steve could remember, but he realized that this was Tony’s personal library.

Tony dragged his feet to the sofa, leaning downward to pick up a record from a pile next to the player before straightening up to study it. Steve hesitated before approaching further.

“So, I already know from our conversations what you like to listen to, Rogers. I hope you don’t mind given the terrible mood.” Steve waited as Tony busied himself with the record player.

Tony turned somewhat to smile back at Steve before placing a record on top of the player. It spun around a few times until it began playing Billie Holiday’s “I’ll Be Seeing You”. Tony plopped down on the sofa, groaning to himself as the music continued to play. Steve watched the scene in front of him before taking his time to join Tony. He sat up straight with his hands in his lap as Tony sank further into the cushions, leaning on the armrest with a hand covering his face.

Steve wasn’t sure what to do. Should he touch him? Would Tony even prefer to be comforted that way given their current tension? They sat in silence with only the music playing softly in the background before Tony reached over to grab another record. Steve watched Tony turn the record over; in the corner was a neat signature. It was faint, but Steve could discern that the signature belonged to an “H. Stark.”

_Howard Stark_…Steve looked up at Tony who was staring listlessly at the signature.

As he tried to find the best way to start a conversation, Steve mentally replayed Tony’s past behavior: his outburst from the first simulation run through and subsequent situations; his consistent self-deprecating humor; how uncomfortable he appeared whenever his father was mentioned…

Steve felt terrible that their relationship had gotten to this boiling point. He cared about Tony, and that was before anything he was feeling romantically. He wished they could get back to working as a team.

Then, Steve wondered: could Tony’s behavior be connected to his relationship with his father? Steve wasn’t in expert in psychology, of course, but he had personal experience with mental health issues.

After leaving the army, Steve had struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder for some time which prompted his mother to get him into therapy. After she died, Steve struggled to bounce back but was saved by his friends encouraging him to stay in therapy. He didn’t know where he would be if he hadn’t.

He remembered the conversation he had with Bruce a while back after the first failed simulation, now thinking that he might have antagonized Tony more than he realized over the failsafe. Steve wanted the team to proceed with caution, but he had also let his emotions overtake his common sense; he should have taken his time and worked to have a calm and clear conversation with Tony.

While weary of diagnosing Tony, Steve figured that maybe his friend was suffering from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder himself. There was a person in his group sessions who often mentioned their relationship with their mother as the source of their struggles with mental health and Tony’s mannerisms were similar to theirs. Steve reminded himself of how horrible and alone he had felt after his mother died, and the amount of help he received to overcome it.

“Have…I ever told you about my family?” Steve began.

Tony stopped fiddling with the record for a moment, but he didn’t look over at Steve, however Steve could gather from Tony’s silence that he was listening.

“…my father died when I was a few years old. So, it was just me and my mother for a long time…”

Steve looked over at Tony who was still looking downward at the record. He was clenching the casing at the edges.

“…I, uh…” Tony started quietly, “…can only imagine, but that must have been tough…growing up.”

Steve nodded. He reached over to place a hand on Tony’s knee which resulted in Tony turning his body a little to face him to a degree. Tony placed the record down on the edge of the table next to the record player.

“I knew Bucky through my mother’s friendship with his…we became close that way, especially when my mother needed help taking care of me…”

Steve inhaled deeply as he thought about his mother; it hurt thinking about her.

“So…you and your mother are close?” Tony asked, his voice faltering.

Steve exhaled. “We were…she died the year after I started law school…she had breast cancer.”

Steve felt Tony grip his hand tightly. “I’m so sorry…” He whispered.

Steve used his thumb to stroke the inside of Tony’s hand. Tony scooted closer toward Steve, freeing his hand to hook it around the latter’s shoulders to give him a semi hug.

“For the longest time, it was just her and Bucky who I considered to be family…I’m thankful I met Sam, especially to get me through law school…But she would have been so thrilled about Synergy…” Steve rambled on a bit as a string of statements filtered through his head, each one connecting to something else.

“…after I got out of the military, my mother convinced me to see a therapist…I was fine until…she passed. I was such a mess after that Bucky ended up taking bereavement leave to keep me company. Sam helped me get through that first year at Columbia…”

He felt Tony hug him even tighter before sighing. “…my friends are more my family than my actual family…” Tony let out, visibly uneasy.

Steve’s heart began to race as he anticipated Tony being vulnerable with him. Tony let go of Steve, sighing again before he continued.

“Every single person I meet who knew my dad always tells me how much of a father figure he was to them. I used to lie when I was younger…reminiscing about my time with him as if we _actually_ spent time together that wasn’t mentally or physically painful…”

Steve nodded to indicate that he was listening.

“…now, I don’t even care. The memories hurt, sure, but he wasn’t a father to me, and I was his biological son. He was cold…and calculating. He never told me he loved me…never told me he even liked me…”

Tony shuffled a bit to fiddle some more with his dad’s record.

“…I remember vividly when my parents died. I was twenty-one and they had left for a few days for vacation but had stopped in Roslyn Heights to visit a friend. Of course, the detour had been last minute…they—someone smashed into their car…they didn’t survive…”

Steve reached over to give Tony a half hug. “I’m so sorry, Tony…”

Tony nodded before continuing. “Peter’s parents…they were good friends of mine. They used to work at Stark Industries before they died…the same way my parents had…I think one of the reasons why I felt like I needed to take Peter in was because of the way he lost his parents. He could have easily grown up the way I had, but I couldn’t allow it…”

Tony glanced meekly at Steve before facing forward. “Maybe it sounds selfish, but I really feel like I can start over with him, you know? I know I’m not the best parent…but whenever he smiles at me it feels like I’m doing okay. That he’ll be all right and maybe I will be too…”

Without responding verbally, as he was unsure what to say without spoiling the mood, Steve squeezed Tony through the hug. He felt a hand slide across his thigh, heightening his heart’s fluttering.

Both Steve and Tony looked at each other simultaneously, prompting a mutual smile. Steve’s face reddened as he looked away from Tony.

“What?” Tony asked in a playful tone.

Steve shook his head a few times. He could feel his cheeks flushing. “I…well…” He shifted on the cushion, but not enough to move Tony’s hand.

“…if you had told me about a year ago that I would not only be working at Stark Industries, but would also get close to a famous person, I wouldn’t have believed you…” his voice trailed off, still very much shy about being this close to Tony.

Tony grinned as he removed his hand from Steve’s thigh. “Okay, well then I think after the day we had, maybe we could start over?”

He then reached his hand out toward Steve. “Hi, I’m Tony Stark. A famous person.”

Steve laughed before turning away from Tony again. They were so close on the sofa that he was embarrassed that he was blushing.

“Jesus, Rogers. You kill me every time you smile.”

Steve sucked in a breath of air, biting his bottom lip as he turned to face a smiling Tony again. He noted to himself the change intimacy as he resettled. He scooted closer toward Tony who did the same, looking at each faintly for a second or so before moving closer, so close that their faces were only an inch away. Tony breathed deeply before reaching out a hand to caress the back of Steve’s neck. Steve closed his eyes as he accepted a kiss from Tony.

“Tony…” Steve whispered, feeling the tension between them finally let go. He placed a hand on Tony’s face and the other on his hip, massaging gently as he pushed Tony up against the back of the sofa.

Steve could feel Tony letting him take control, but he wasn’t sure how long he should continue. Tony smiled through the kiss before placing a hand on Steve’s chest. He bit the bottom half of his lip as he looked upward at Steve. Steve smiled back, pulling away, inciting a subdued laughing fit between the two.

“Although the first time we kissed was hands down _the_ hottest, I quite enjoyed this one.” Tony teased as his voice lowered. He straightened himself out as Steve finally let go of his face.

Steve hung his head as he moved away from Tony, but he kept his hands on either side of his body.

“Okay, Tony. You caught me,” he sighed before continuing, “I did take advantage of the whole pretending to be married thing to kiss you at that mansion.” Steve turned bright red again as he confessed.

Tony shook his head a few times. “No, _not_ masquerading as spy husbands, Rogers. I’m talking about the _first_ time when you nearly jumped me in the elevator after Thor’s party.”

Steve felt an aching drop in the pit of his stomach. “Th-that was…real? I thought that was a dream...”

He covered his mouth with one hand. “I’m so sorry, Tony. I can’t believe I assault—”

“Whoa! Time-out. No one said anything about assault.” Tony held up a “time-out” sign before wrapping his hands around Steve’s waist with a grin.

“Okay, ‘jumped’ was probably not the right choice of word. I was just teasing you. You were very nice and polite, despite being hammered—uh, well, that was until we got back to the penthouse. You were all over me.”

Steve could barely form a single word, let alone a simple sentence, he was so humiliated.

Tony laughed loudly. “Don’t worry about it, Rogers. It was hot.” Tony closed his eyes as he moved in closer for another kiss. Steve let him kiss his bottom lip before he kissed Tony back.

Steve was enjoying the moment, but now he was angry with himself; he was upset that he had been so brazen, even if Tony sounded like he hadn’t been turned off by it.

Tony moved a hand to caress Steve’s face again. “Steve, it was fine. Don’t worry, okay?”

Steve let Tony pull his face to look at him directly. He told himself it wasn’t a big deal, finding it easier to do so from Tony’s energy. He nodded back to indicate that he understood.

Tony repositioned his body to rest a leg on the cushion in front of Steve. He fidgeted a little as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Um, tell me if this is too forward…I’m not really asking for anything suggestive I promise…” Tony began.

Steve nodded, but he wasn’t entirely sure where Tony was headed.

“…but would you like to stay the night? I know this sounds selfish, but I don’t want you to leave just yet… whenever I talk about the night my parents died…I—have nightmares. I don’t like waking up alone after one…” He voice was low and steady. Steve had never heard him like this before.

Steve took his time responding, telling himself he could finally take his time. He smiled at Tony who smiled back.

_What do you have to lose?_

Steve thought back to his conversation with Bucky again.

_What do I have to lose? _Steve thought, now grappling with wanting to stay.

Steve inhaled as he took a hold of Tony’s hand and squeezed gently. “Sure…that would be nice, and I know how you feel...”

Tony let out a sigh of relief which shocked Steve; outside of their conversation, it never occurred to him that someone like Tony could be this vulnerable.

Steve waited as they lingered on the couch; he wasn’t sure what to do next.

“Uh, should we go to bed now?” He asked awkwardly.

Tony pursed his lips together before laughing. “Now? I guess it’s late…you’re not hungry or anything?”

Steve chuckled, feeling a little self-conscious about being so brazen. “Uh, well,” he laughed awkwardly again as he ran a hand through his hair, “if you are, I can wait.”

Tony shook his head, facing downward with a grin. “No, I was just checking…” He looked upward at Steve, still smiling.

Steve let out a weird giggle before looking away from Tony. He found himself blushing at Tony’s arresting smile, feeling a hand on his shoulder. Steve told himself to play it cool as he turned to face Tony.

Tony rubbed his shoulder some more before rising from the sofa, holding out his hand for Steve to take. Steve smiled timidly before accepting. He followed Tony to his master bedroom, his heart doing somersaults the entire trip there. As they entered, the bedroom was dimmed, but Steve could still see Tony in front of him.

Tony stopped next to the bed, leaning on one leg. “Uh, you can change your mind if you want…I won’t be offended…” He offered meekly.

Steve shook his head; he knew he wanted to stay with Tony. He slowly approached Tony before wrapping his arms around the latter’s waist, pulling him close. He could feel Tony’s heart beating fast against his own.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He whispered.

Steve waited a second before leaning inward to kiss Tony. He felt Tony run a hand up his side until it met his neck, massaging him as they felt each other. Steve turned the two of them at an angle before gently pushing Tony down onto the bed.

Tony moaned quietly as Steve scooted them around in the bed to lie lengthwise. Tony wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck as Steve held him close against his body, letting his hands roam over Tony’s backside. He heard Tony make a few quiet noises through their kiss before breaking away to rub the tip of his nose into his neck, pushing himself more into Steve’s body. Steve pushed back until he had Tony completely on his back and he was above to the side. He reached out a hand to stroke Tony’s face.

Tony reached out a hand to do the same to Steve, but Steve could tell that he was still upset from their conversation. Steve swallowed; he held still before leaning downward toward Tony’s face, but stopped short not entirely sure what he wanted to do next. He felt Tony physically reacting to him, but before he could get closer, he felt a hand on his chest.

“Uh,” Tony’s voice sounded choked, “I’m really exhausted, Steve. You know with broken childhood memories and what not—‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ bullshit, you get it.”

Steve could tell that Tony was trying to sound lighthearted, but he could also sense that Tony was too upset to continue. It didn’t offend him, however; actually, it made him appreciate the moment with Tony even more. Also, Steve was afraid he would make a mistake if they went any further. He was very attracted to Tony, but he knew if they ended up having sex, he would just be terrible at it, possibly ruining the evening.

Steve nodded as he went back to stroking Tony’s cheek. “Okay, let’s get some sleep then.” He smiled before settling next to Tony. He wrapped one arm around Tony to draw him against his body, feeling himself exhausted as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_The following morning…_

Steve yawned as soon as he opened his eyes. He was lying on his back with his arm outstretched on the side of the bed Tony had slept. He blinked a few times, realizing that Tony was gone already. He sat up straight, looking around; Tony’s bedroom looked different from last night. Steve wasn’t sure if it was due to the time of night or night’s somber atmosphere. He looked around the room once more before his eyes landed on the bedside table. There, a folded note with his name on it caught his eye. Steve took his time reaching over to read it. He glanced around the room again, as if searching for the person who had left the note before flipping it open:

> _Steve,_
> 
> _Feel free to eat breakfast before joining me in the lab later._
> 
> _T._

Steve grinned the silliest grin; although it was a straightforward note, something about it felt quite personal and intimate. He slumped downward into the bed still holding the hand-written note. He read it over a few more times before exhaling happy, ready to fully embrace the day.

After a moment, Steve finally hopped out of the bed before making his way to Tony’s kitchen. There, he found a plate covered with some wax paper on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Steve walked to the island and uncovered the plate to find an omelet. He smiled to himself, thinking about Tony cooking for him. Steve settled at the island, eating as quickly as possible. After, he made sure to clean up the kitchen.

Riding the private express elevator down to their lab felt like an eternity, as Steve kept thinking about the way Tony looked the previous night. He had to prevent himself from racing out of the elevator as soon as its doors opened. He walked as casually as possible down the hallway until he reached the lab, spotting Tony working alone.

“Good morning, Mr. Rogers.” J.A.R.V.I.S. greeted as soon as Steve entered. He watched Tony turned to acknowledge him with a smile. A version of “Les Boréades” was playing softly throughout the space.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., could you lower the volume please.” Tony continued to watch Steve walk toward him. His expression was reserved.

Steve walked up to Tony, putting a hand on his shoulder before joining him to see what he was working on at the console.

“Did you sleep okay?” Steve quietly asked.

Tony grinned before answering. “I did. You?”

Steve smiled before letting go of Tony’s shoulder. “I did.”


	19. Chapter 19

_About a month later…_

“Hey, I’m staying over at Tony’s tonight.”

Although it had been clear since that night that their relationship had progressed into something more, Steve noticed about a week ago that Tony was still too awkward around him, often finding excuses to get Steve to stay over at his place. However, Steve, learning from their previous bouts of miscommunication, finally told Tony late one evening that he didn’t mind it and actually enjoyed spending the night with him.

Even though Steve tried his best to be as open as possible with Tony, they never really discussed the state of their evolving, intimate relationship. Tony hadn’t attempted any other additional move beyond an occasional kiss or intense cuddling. Also, Steve wasn’t sure if he should make the first move; although he ultimately discovered some newfound courage to pursue whatever was going on between himself and Tony, Steve found himself reverting to his old dating habits. As mentioned before, Steve’s sexual experiences were also lacking, to put it mildly; he had only been with two other people before meeting Tony.

Usually, Steve would only stay over at Tony’s when Peter was with his aunt, so the two would only spend the night together maybe once or twice a week. Even so, those couple times during the week, when they weren’t working in the lab, were the most exciting for Steve.

“Okay, have fun.” Sam was in the kitchen drinking a cup of a coffee as Steve passed the opening, carrying an overnight bag on his way out to work.

As he approached the front door, Steve considered riding his motorcycle to work. Maybe, he began to wonder, he could suggest a joy ride with Tony around the city for a bit after work—

_Wait what?_ Steve stopped short of the threshold.

The thought had come so easily to him, but he wasn’t entirely sure where it originated. Okay, so he and Tony would spend the night together and sometimes get dinner, but besides work, the two would only see each other a couple nights a week, if that. Would Tony even want to spend more personal time with him? Especially since the talk Tony had given Steve about needing to be more responsible? Steve hadn’t even met Peter yet, which had been bothering him a great deal lately, so why would Tony even want to go on a ride with him?

Steve shook his head a few times; it wouldn’t hurt to ask, right? He wanted to spend more time with Tony that went beyond late nights in the lab or in Tony’s bed. Steve also wanted to get to know Peter; it would be weird to try to pursue something with someone without establishing a report with their kid.

“I’ll see you Wednesday, okay?” Steve managed to shout back to Sam.

“Oh! It’s a long one this time.” Sam teased back.

Steve’s face flushed; he was thankful that his friend couldn’t see his expression.

Ever since Steve began staying over at Tony’s, Sam had been super supportive. Bucky, while not as vocal as Sam, seemed like he was fine with Steve’s current relationship status. Steve found some time to devout to his oldest friend, but he would still have to cancel on Bucky more than he wanted to in order to spend more time with Tony. However, Bucky appeared fine with it; he hadn’t said otherwise. Steve figured that his oldest and dearest friend would at least tell him if he had an issue with Tony. He hoped so, anyway.

As Steve reached his bike, slinging his work bag further onto his back before mounting, he thought about Tony which translated into thinking about not having met Peter. Steve sighed to himself: he knew he needed to hold back and give Tony some space. Steve usually operated that way, so he should allow Tony to do the same.

Steve sat up straight as he looked determinedly off into the distance before squeezing the handle clutch. He told himself to go with the flow.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Both Tony and Bruce waited patiently for Shuri to offer her opinion on the second iteration of the Synergy device, which had been reconstructed over the past month. The two men stood a bit away from Shuri as she tinkered with the device at a table in Tony’s lab, humming quietly to herself as she worked.

“…everything appears fine. But…” She trailed off, glancing upward quickly to acknowledge Tony and Bruce.

Tony looked at Bruce, grinning slightly before answering. “But what? There’s more we can do, isn’t there?”

Shuri nodded slowly. A smile crept up onto her face, revealing a nice white smile. “I would just say _one _more thing.”

She rose from her chair at the table, rounding it before leaning on the edge. She carried one of her tools with her, twirling it around and around in her hands before she continued.

“Obviously you’re aware that the failsafe you originally constructed was enough to safeguard against most disruption to its main hardware.”

Shuri turned around to point at the section of the device she was referring to. Both Tony and Bruce nodded timidly as they approached the table to get a better look.

“I’ve only thought about this abstractly, never in practice, but there might be a way to reconstruct the vibranium core to work in tandem with the failsafe. Although not perfect—you’ll have to test it out, of course—it might be a better safeguard against any future disruptions.”

As Shuri finished explaining, Tony and Bruce looked back and forth between the other and the device, nodding and verbally responding in agreement with Shuri’s findings.

“You know, that makes the most sense. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before…” Bruce removed his eyeglasses to peer downward at the device, transfixed by Shuri’s solution.

Tony crossed his arms with a genuine smile. “That’s better than anything I could’ve come up with.”

Shuri shrugged, although it was clear that she had appreciated Tony’s kind statement. “Eh, sometimes it helps having a fresh pair of eyes.”

Shuri pushed herself away from the table to retrieve her work bag. “Also,” she produced a chip from the bag to show to Tony and Bruce, “I looked through those schematics your father had drawn up and created a backup plan with the failsafe codes embedded.”

Tony and Bruce quickly acknowledged each other before answering.

“That’s great. Thank you.” Bruce responded as he drew nearer toward the table.

Shuri smiled before rounded the table again to pack up her things. Bruce looked over at Tony, nodding vigorously in Shuri’s direction.

“Oh and, if you’re interested,” Tony began, walking up to the table to join Bruce, “there’s a place here at Stark Industries for you. We could use someone like you on Project Synergy, Shuri.”

Shuri looked back and forth between Tony and Bruce, still wearing a smile. “That’s a really great offer, Mr. Stark—”

“Tony, please. You just saved our asses.” Tony gently interrupted.

Shuri nodded. “Only if I get to interview properly.”

Tony clapped his hands together with delight as Bruce straightened up with a grin. “All we have to do is interview you the old school way? That’s a bargain for us!” Tony nearly exclaimed.

Shuri chuckled as she finished gathering her things. She reached out her hand first to Tony then to Bruce.

“Okay then. Let me know when I should come in. And thank you again, Tony.” Shuri waved before exiting the lab.

“I really thought you would have to negotiate. She could really work anywhere she wanted.” Bruce said almost immediately as Shuri disappeared out of sight down the hallway.

Tony nodded, seemingly relieved. “Not that there’s any competition, because there isn’t, but I’m a little surprised I didn’t have to compete with a contract from Justin Hammer.” He scoffed at the idea of Shuri working for someone like Hammer whose company’s output was nowhere near the quality of Stark Industries’.

Bruce nodded. The two then fell into absolute working silence for a moment or so before Bruce broke it.

“Steve’s met Peter already, right?” Bruce asked. His question might have been innocent, but it was arresting to Tony.

“Um no.” Tony nearly mumbled, turning around to stare at his friend.

“Oh, well I would have thought that he would have by now.” Bruce shrugged before looking downward at a tablet he was holding.

Tony placed his tablet on a nearby console. “Do you think I should introduce them? Steve asks about him all the time, but I’m really not in the mood to have Peter meet someone I’m kind of seeing and then have things fall apart like they always do.” He sighed miserably.

Bruce took his time removing his eyeglasses to squint at his friend before crossing his arms. It was obvious that Tony was specifically referring to his breakup with Pepper.

“Tony, I don’t want to make assumptions about your relationship with Steve, but you have no idea that’ll happen.” Tony could sense the sincerity in his friend’s voice, but it didn’t help.

Tony winced as he crossed his arms. He really had no idea where his relationship, or whatever it was, with Steve was now headed. Tony always looked forward to having Steve over whenever Peter was with his aunt, and although Steve seemed really into him, they hadn’t gone further than the occasional make out session or a night of heavy petting. Tony had admitted to himself that he was nervous to push it any further; he wanted to take his time and let Steve know that he wasn’t in it just for the sex.

_Even though I can’t stop thinking about it_. Tony thought to himself as he tried to come up with a response to Bruce.

“Maybe you’re right…” Tony uncrossed his arms to rest his hands on his hips. He then took a moment before walking toward another console across the lab.

However, suddenly, as he attempted to refocus on his work, Tony felt a dull pain in his chest, halting for a moment to calm himself down.

“Tony, are you all right?” Tony heard Bruce call for him, feeling a hand on his shoulder.

Tony turned to face Bruce, realizing that he had stopped himself, dead center in the lab, clutching his chest.

“Um, yeah…I just,” Tony took a moment before continuing, “I’ve been getting this weird feeling in my chest lately…I’m planning to see Strange about it Wednesday morning.”

Bruce kept his hand on Tony’s shoulder as the latter straightened up to look at his friend.

“Tony, I’m worried about you…” Bruce responded in a hushed voice, much like he had in the past.

Tony sighed as he rolled his eyes. He patted Bruce’s hand on his shoulder. “Banner, chill, okay? I’m fine. It’s probably heart burn or a panic attack or something.” He waved his friend off before walking back to his console to retrieve his tablet, but he could feel Bruce staring him down.

“Tony, you need to let yourself enjoy things more often. You don’t want to introduce Steve to Peter because you’re already thinking—no _believing_—that things are going to fall apart? That’s no way to live.”

Tony glanced at Bruce before looking down at nothing on his tablet. He sighed before finding a table to lean against.

“If I don’t have anything to look forward to then I won’t be disappointed in the end.” He had tried for his answer to sound like a joke, but it was obvious that Bruce hadn’t appreciated the effort.

“I know that’s not true. You talk about Steve all the time. And I see the way you look at him.”

Tony groaned as he turned to face a console. He didn’t need the unsolicited dating advice right now.

“Okay, that may be true, but just let me process what’s going on, okay? I’m doing my best.”

Tony waited for Bruce to respond; the anticipation was killing him.

“Tony, you’re great. Steve’s lucky to have you.” Was all Bruce concluded with before Tony heard him tapping on his tablet.

Tony exhaled with relief, but just enough to himself to not cause a scene. “Thanks, Banner. I really appreciate it.”

Bruce chuckled. “You are one of my closest friends, Tony. So, don’t act _too_ surprised.”

Tony laughed back. “You did clear out your schedule to hold my hand in the Hamptons.”

Tony heard Bruce groan loudly. “I know you’re making a joke as a way to alleviate the serious conversation we just had so I’m going to let that one slide.”

Tony laughed back way too loudly. “You know me!” He turned around to walk over to Bruce, holding his tablet out, “also, here are the drawings for some safety uniforms.”

Tony watched as Bruce took the tablet to review the uniforms. “What do you think?” Tony asked.

Bruce readjusted his eyeglasses before answering. “I think they’re safety uniforms.”

Tony grumbled as he snatched the tablet away from Bruce. “What about the style, Banner? You _must_ have an aesthetic opinion.”

Bruce shrugged. “If you’re trying to get me to say that Steve will look good in one, I’m not falling for it.”

Tony’s mouth fell open from the accusation, but then he served his friend a sly grin. 

“I wasn’t even going for that, but now I _want_ to know.”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “Steve looks good in everything.” He admitted clumsily.

Tony laughed hysterically, nearly dropping his tablet. Bruce watched Tony double over but then walked away in a huff as it became clear that the latter wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.

* * *

_Wednesday morning..._

Steve groaned as his internal clock woke him up, instantly disturbing his half sleep. He opened his eyes to see that Tony was still sleeping next to him. Steve’s hand was wrapped around and underneath Tony’s waist, naturally pulling the latter close to his body.

“Morning, Tony…” Steve whispered softly as he felt Tony pushed into his body gently.

“Um? Oh, it’s morning already?” Tony squiggled as Steve held onto him.

Steve pushed his body more into Tony’s. “Ah. Yes,” Tony started as he began to wake up fully, “I guess it is morning.”

The hand Steve had underneath Tony was now rubbing the inside of his hip as the other free hand slowly traced its way up Tony’s side to meet his shoulder. Steve started out rubbing Tony lightly then firmly, which elicited a quiet moan from Tony who kept pushing backward into Steve’s body.

Steve traced his hand along Tony’s shoulder, down his arm until it met his waist. He used both hands to squeeze Tony before tugging at the tank top he was wearing.

“…may I…take this off…?” Steve asked quietly, his voice hesitant yet completely caught up in the moment.

Tony laughed quietly as he continued to push backward into Steve. “I suppose that’s fine…” He teased.

Steve let out a pleasant-sounding noise as he began dragging Tony’s tank up his body—

“Sir, you—”

“Ah!” Steve yelped, letting go of Tony before rolling to the other side of the bed as soon as J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice materialized out of nowhere.

“—have a scheduled appointment at 9:30 this morning.” J.A.R.V.I.S. finished without missing a beat.

Tony chuckled as he shuffled around to face Steve who was clenching his chest from being surprised by J.A.R.V.I.S.’s presence.

“I’m sorry,” Tony couldn’t stop laughing, “I forgot to put J.A.R.V.I.S. on mute last night. I usually do when you stay over.”

Steve took a deep dramatic breath, causing Tony to side eye him. “Jesus, Rogers. Don’t be such a big baby.” Tony joked before wrapping a hand around Steve’s waist to pull him in close.

Steve made a cute whiny noise as he let Tony hold onto him, turning his head to a degree to kiss Tony who was in the process of nestling his nose against his ear. Tony turned some more, ending with half his body on top of Steve. He breathed deeply before pressing his lips against Steve’s again, moaning quietly as he pushed downward into Steve, but not too much.

Through the kiss, Steve could feel Tony holding back, so he restrained himself from pushing back. But before anything could go anywhere, Tony straightened up and away from Steve to flop onto his back. He groaned loudly, slamming the palms of his hands to his forehead. Steve shuffled so he could look more directly at Tony.

“…are you okay…?” Steve asked.

Tony shook his head a few times before answering. “Not really. I’m just stressed out per usual.”

Steve nodded as he slid a hand across Tony’s chest. “Well, let me know if I can help with anything…”

Tony shook his head again, turning to face Steve. “It’s okay,” he began as he sighed once more. He reached out to caress Steve behind the ear. “Thank you for offering though, baby.”

Steve smiled, but he was sure he was blushing ridiculously. It had only been recent since Tony had started calling him “baby”. And Steve couldn’t help from turning pink every single time.

Tony straightened up before shuffling downward to get off the bed. He took a moment before rising to face Steve.

“Okay, so I’m going to take a shower. Feel free to take your time and do whatever you do in the morning to get ready.” Tony offered with a grin.

“Okay, I’ll see you later.” Steve answered.

“Oh, you know what?” Tony had stopped abruptly as he walked toward the bathroom, snapping his fingers before pointing at Steve. “There is _one _thing you could help me with.” He grinned widely before continuing, “you could take a shower with me, you know to save water and money, or whatever.” He ended by waving his hand around casually.

Steve grinned back; he knew Tony was joking but something about the offer was obviously appealing. However, he was afraid of misreading the proposal as sincere when it was obvious, well to him anyway, that Tony had to be teasing him.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea….” Steve finally answered, the tone in his voice low and firm.

Tony nodded before wagging a finger at Steve. “Yet, something about the tone in your voice and the way you’re looking at me right now suggest otherwise.” He proceeded to walk to the bathroom.

“But I’ll leave it alone. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Steve could hear Tony’s usually cheerful demeanor in his voice, so he silently congratulated himself for making a smart move.

“I’ll see ya.” Steve answered as he heard the bathroom door close.

* * *

_Later that morning…_

“Tony, for the hundredth time, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you.”

Tony inhaled sharply as his sometimes-personal doctor and friend, Stephen Strange, shook his head before turning around to close his medical bag. Tony let his feet dangle back and forth while he stayed put on top of his desk. Both men were in Tony’s Stark Industries office.

“Despite the immense amount of stress you put on yourself, you’re perfectly healthy for someone your age.”

Tony groaned, loud enough for Strange to recoil. “I think you’re older than me, Strange.”

Strange only huffed with amusement as he continued to check Tony’s vitals. He hummed quietly to himself.

“How’s everything? Seeing anyone new?” Strange crossed his arms as he studied Tony, backing away slightly to look at him more directly.

Tony chuckled as he stretched. “Why are you interested?”

Strange shook his head slowly as his grinned. “Tony, you would not be able to handle me.”

Tony sneered. “Well _that_ sounds like a challenge,” but then he sighed as soon as Strange’s expression grew serious, “…kind of. But I don’t know what that has to do with my panic attacks.”

“Often stress manifests itself in a new job or a new relationship.” Strange uncrossed his arms to slide them into his pockets.

Tony rolled his eyes; he didn’t feel like discussing Steve again.

“You caught me.” Tony grinned, “I started a new job just this past week.”

Strange scoffed as he finished packing up his medical bag. “Tony, for as long as I have known you, you’ve never been fearful of embracing the unknown. Why not with whomever you’re seeing now?

Tony had to prevent his mouth from hanging open at such a blatant statement.

“I’m…I…don’t know what I’m doing…” Tony finally admitted with his head hanging low.

He felt Strange place a hand on his shoulder. “Do we ever know what we’re doing? Every new event in life forces us to start over. No one is ever really good at anything unless they try.”

Tony looked upward at Strange and smiled weakly. He appreciated the reassurance, but then his personality took over, trying his best to change the subject.

“I already have a therapist, Strange,” Tony hopped off the desk, readjusting his shirt, “but,” he rolled his eyes dramatically, “I appreciate the advice. Although I’m not paying you extra for it.” He pointed at Strange before retrieving his phone. He pretended to look through emails as he felt his heart doing somersaults again.

Strange chuckled before grabbing his things to head out. “Anytime, Tony.” He answered as he patted Tony on the back before turning to leave. He stopped briefly at the office door.

“But you really need to take more breaks more often. That’s the best evidence I can give you and your stress levels.” He waved bye to Tony before exiting the office.

“That’s easier said than done!” Tony shouted after Strange, but knew it was useless as the other was halfway down the hallway already.

Tony sighed as he looked around himself, tapping his phone a few times in the palm of his hand before he decided on his next move. He took a deep breath as he pulled up May’s contact profile before pressing the call button.

Tony waited a second before he heard her voice. “Hey, May. Oh, that’s good…no need, I’ll pick him up later this afternoon…,” Tony walked around his desk to shuffle through some papers, balancing his phone on his shoulder, “…ha, yeah I’m taking the afternoon off, finally for the first time in a while…that’s also good to hear…okay I’ll see you two later today…talk to you later.” Tony hung up after a second, looking downward at his phone.

He slid his phone into pants’ pocket before plopping down into his desk chair. He finally decided that he would ask Peter if they could have dinner with Steve.

* * *

_That afternoon…_

Although a little late, Tony fulfilled his promise in picking up Peter who was more than excited to see him earlier than expected. As Tony drove, he kept playing over and over how he would bring up the subject of having Steve over for dinner, mindful of sounding as causal as possible.

Tony cleared his throat after patiently waiting for Peter to finish telling him about his day.

“…I was thinking about asking a friend of mine over for dinner, you know, with you and me. Would that be okay? I know you have a busy schedule with being a nine-year old and whatnot…”

Peter giggled as Tony continued.

“…he used to be a captain in the military, but now he works with me. His name is Steve.”

Peter nodded. “Only if he’s cool like Rhodey and Bruce.” He said with a smile.

Tony grinned. “He’s _way_ cooler. In a different way, I suppose.”

Peter made a cheerful sound before answering. “Okay!”

Tony couldn’t stop smiling; not only was Peter okay with having dinner with Steve, he actually seemed excited about it.

“Good, I’m glad.” Tony responded, exhaling with relief, looking slightly at Peter before focusing on the road.

The two sat in silence for a bit before Peter spoke up.

“We should make something.” He offered, looking up and over at Tony with a little smile.

Tony laughed. “Oh yeah? I think Steve would appreciate that. What do you have in mind?”

Peter giggled. “I don’t know! You figure it out.” He answered, stumbling over the word “figure”.

Tony laughed. “Okay, Parker. I’ll figure out what we’re having if you cook most of it.” He quickly looked over and downward at Peter.

Peter clapped his hands together with glee. “Deal!”

As they drove along, Tony grinned a little too widely as he thought about Steve finally meeting Peter.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Subject: CONFIDENTIAL

UNKNOWN SENDER

To: Erik Selvig ([selvig@starkindustries.org](mailto:selvig@starkindustries.org))

> Access codes still undisclosed. The upgrades to the device appear more robust than the original. However, when the opportunity presents itself, do whatever you need to do to get into that lab. And wipe all email traces.


	20. Chapter 20

_Later in the week…_

_Okay…_

Tony was barely paying attention to Bruce as the latter was going on and on about the new upgrades to the Synergy device.

_…I’ll just ask him like I practiced. Shouldn’t be too difficult…I mean we already spend the night together…_

“…and! This should give us more leeway when replicating whichever gadget we need…”

Bruce and Tony were walking through one of the glass corridors after one of the team’s weekly Project Synergy meetings. Tony had been avoiding Steve most of the morning and during the meeting; he was still too nervous to ask him over for dinner.

“Yep.” Was all Tony responded with to Bruce’s insistent energy.

As it became clear that his friend’s thoughts were occupied elsewhere, Bruce halted in the middle of the hallway with his arms crossed. Tony kept walking, completely unaware that Bruce was no longer walking beside him.

“Tony. Tony!” Bruce shouted as he watched Tony continue to ambulate aimlessly.

“What?” Tony looked to his side, expecting to see Bruce. He grimaced before glancing behind himself to see instead an extremely annoyed Bruce far down the hallway.

“Banner? What are you doing back there?” Tony asked, genuinely confused.

“Okay,” Bruce huffed as he began to walk past Tony, “I’m going to start working out more, dye my hair blond, then grow a few inches taller. Maybe that’ll get you to pay attention to me.” He concluded as he described Steve’s key physical features.

“Oh, come on,” Tony jogged to catch up with Bruce, “I was listening, I promise.” He finally caught up with the other who was by this time marching down the hallway.

“Yeah?” Bruce stopped, “What was I talking about just now?” He dipped his eyeglasses downward, patiently waited for Tony to answer.

Tony scrunched up his face, thinking quickly before placing his hands on his hips. He tapped his foot a few times before looking back and forth.

“The device…” He tried.

Bruce sighed. “What about it?”

“Okay, I wasn’t paying attention.” Tony groaned before inhaling then exhaling sharply, “I’m sorry. I’m really distracted right now because I’m planning to ask Steve over for dinner with Peter and I.”

Bruce smacked Tony a little too hard in the chest who then recoiled upon impact.

“Jesus, Banner. Aren’t you aware of your own strength?”

“Tony! That’s great!” Bruce exclaimed, very much unaware of his own strength.

Tony smiled wearily as he rubbed his chest. “Thanks, but I haven’t asked yet, so there’s a high probability that he’ll tell me to fuck off.”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “Come on, Tony. Really?”

Tony sighed as he continued walking, sensing that Bruce wasn’t tolerating his defeatist attitude again.

“Yeah, I know. I don’t know that yet.”

They continued their Synergy-related conversation until they reached Tony and Steve’s lab. Upon approach, Tony spotted Steve working in the lab already. He froze immediately, almost knocking into Bruce in the process.

Bruce grumbled at Tony, but then noticed Steve in lab. He patted Tony on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine.” He grinned before heading toward his own lab.

Tony looked around anxiously as he took his time entering the lab, wishing Bruce hadn’t ran off so quickly so he could use the company to gather his thoughts and figure out how not to sound desperate when asking Steve over for dinner. Tony inhaled severely as Steve turned around and waved at him with a smile. Tony remembered to smile back before finally entering the lab.

“Rogers, I know you’re fast, but I left the meeting before you.” Tony tried for as casually as possible, hoping Steve wasn’t weird about that fact that he had been ignoring him all day.

Steve continued to smile as he walked toward Tony. “Good. I was hoping you weren’t ignoring me.”

Tony laughed to himself, although his tone was worn. He placed his hand on his hips. “Well you know how I usually operate when I have something on my mind.” He attempted to joke.

Steve’s expression grew serious. “You can tell me if something is bothering you, Tony. I don’t mind.”

Tony forced himself to smile. He looked downward before looking upward somewhat. “I really appreciate that, Steve…”

Steve reassured him with a compassionate expression as he crossed his arms. “Well I care about you.”

A goofy smile attempted to assert itself across Tony’s face. He used walking over to a console and pretending to study some data on a tablet to steady himself before asking Steve about dinner.

Tony inhaled deeply as he turned around to face Steve. “So—and I won’t be offended if you say no—um…” Tony started, but he struggled to articulate his thought.

Steve stared at Tony, waiting patiently. “Yes, Tony?”

Tony groaned as he rolled his eyes dramatically. “Would you like to, uh, have dinner with me and Peter next week? Like Wednesday night?” He laughed quietly to himself, “I just realized you haven’t met him yet.” He tried, shrugging a little with his arms stretched out.

Steve looked stunned, although he eventually smiled back. “Sure, I would love to have dinner with you and Peter. I thought I wouldn’t ever get to meet him…” He trailed off, sounding dejected.

Instantly, Tony felt horrible inside; it never occurred to him that Steve would even care about meeting Peter, but of course he wanted to. Tony had been too wrapped up in his own shit to really assess whether Steve would even want to meet Peter.

“I…uh…I’m sorry. I didn’t think—or…I wasn’t sure if you wanted to meet my kid…” Tony answered.

Steve took his time approaching Tony, glancing toward the glass façade to make sure no one was walking past. As soon as he reached Tony, Steve rubbed his arms.

“Tony, why wouldn’t I want to meet Peter? He’s important to you.” He said with a smile, albeit his tone reflected his concern.

Tony couldn’t help himself from grinning. “Aw, well…” Was all he could muster as he looked upward at Steve who was gazing at him intently.

A weird giggle escaped Tony before he gradually broke away from Steve. He quarter turned to gather himself.

“…that’s great to hear, Rogers.” He cleared his throat, resting his hands on his hips.

He glanced over at Steve who hadn’t moved from his current position and was still smiling kindly at him. Tony smiled back, but almost giggled again. He cleared his throat once more before turning to face a console.

“What do you think of the new upgrades to the device?” Tony began, determined to change the subject to avoid looking silly.

Steve laughed as he joined Tony at the console. “I think they’re great. I’m ready to test them out in the field.” Tony felt Steve place a hand on his shoulder.

Suddenly, Tony began to feel the dull pain in his chest as Steve’s hand lingered. He started to panic, praying he wouldn’t have a panic attack or worse in front of Steve.

Tony closed his eyes as he told himself to breathe deeply.

“…are you okay?” He heard Steve ask.

Tony nodded as he patted Steve’s hand before freeing himself. “Yep.” He kept his back facing Steve.

“…Bruce and I are working on codes for another scenario before the publicity tour starts.” Tony desperately tried to change the tone in the conversation again, hoping Steve would just play along.

“What are you two thinking of this time?”

Tony turned to face Steve, grinning more so than usual in order to mask his weird feeling. “That’s a secret, but I’ve been inspired by that time we played spy husbands, Rogers.”

Steve chuckled which made Tony grin harder, but this time it was brought on by a good feeling.

“Don’t make it too obvious.” Steve added. At first his tone was lighthearted, but then it regressed.

Tony nodded, knowing full well that Steve was ultimately referring to whatever Obadiah was up to.

“It’s strange that nothing’s come across Pepper’s desk since Malibu. But it’s good to stay alert, especially with this press thing.”

Steve nodded as he approached Tony again. “Let me know how I can help, okay?” This time Steve kept his hands to himself, probably sensing that he was making Tony uncomfortable.

Tony shrugged; he didn’t want Steve to think he was pulling away. He was mostly concerned that he would turn into an emotional wreck in front of him.

Tony stepped closer toward Steve, placing his hands on his arms before rubbing gently.

“Of course, but you’re already being helpful by being an effective teammate.” Tony answered with a smile.

Steve wrapped his arms around Tony to pull him inward for a hug. “Well that means a lot coming from you.” He whispered.

Tony let Steve hug him as he hugged back. They held still for a moment before Tony could feel the dull sensation in his chest again. He placed a hand on Steve’s chest before disengaging himself. He smiled as he patted Steve on the shoulder, turning around to face his console. He felt Steve rub his shoulder before letting go.

* * *

_The following week..._

“J.A.R.V.I.S., play one of my favorites.”

Tony busied himself as J.A.R.V.I.S. began playing one of Tony’s favorite playlists on moderate volume throughout the lab, complete with Robin S’ “Show Me Love” at the start.

_It’ll be like any dinner we’ve had before…only Steve will be meeting Peter for the first time…no big deal, Stark…_

Tony was in the lab working a little later than usual to keep his mind occupied before the dinner with Steve later that evening. Steve had left about an hour before to get ready. Needless to say, the two men were awkward around the other the entire day; both made sure to convey their sincerest enthusiasm for the dinner without sounding too desperate.

_Oh, shit… I hope we’re not making anything he’s allergic too…_Tony finally remembered that that might be a huge and unfortunate possibility.

He whipped out his phone to send a quick message to Steve.

**Tony:** Hey, you don’t have any food allergies, right? 🤔

Tony waited a second or so before sliding his phone back into his pocket. He walked up to the nearest console to finish his work.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., run a quick diagnostic test on the device for me, please.”

“Right away, Sir.”

Tony mouthed the words to the song as he watched the computer run the numbers for the program. He swayed from side to side in time with the music, motioning a bit with his hands. Tony then half crossed his arms so he could rest his chin on his fist. As J.A.R.V.I.S. finished with the diagnostic test, Tony noticed something off about the sequences.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., hold up for a second.” He called as the numbers before him stopped running up the projection.

Tony squinted before inching closer toward the projected numbers. He noticed that a few of the equations inputted into device were incorrect.

_How can that be?_

Tony typed a few figures into the program before addressing J.A.R.V.I.S. again.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., run the test again.” Tony proceeded to sway with the music as he watched the numbers race up the screen.

_Good thing Shuri managed to figure out that chip schematic_. Tony thought to himself waiting for the computer to finish the test.

As the test finished, the equations that had been previously incorrect were now operating normally. Tony’s face hardened as he tried to mentally resolve why the numbers had been wrong in the first place. It was a small enough anomaly but considering all the shit that had gone down when the device blew up the precinct, Tony figured he should take the device up to the penthouse to tinker with before getting ready for dinner.

“Sir, Mr. Parker will be arriving in five minutes.” J.A.R.V.I.S. called.

Tony clapped his hands together. “Okay thanks.” He started gathering his things along with placing the Synergy device into its carrying bag. Before exiting the lab, Tony stopped short to address J.A.R.V.I.S. once more.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., save the last diagnostic test. I want to show it to Banner tomorrow.”

“Right away, Sir.”

Tony waited for J.A.R.V.I.S. to save the sequence before exiting the lab, holding the door to the lab open for a moment, before leaving.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Steve took a breath as soon the private express elevator arrived at the penthouse. Forget the first time they used the Synergy device out in the field, this was probably the most nerve-racking thing he had ever experienced outside his military experience. But it was strange; he and Tony weren’t _really_ dating. They still needed to discuss their relationship. However, it felt like this dinner with Peter would either make or break whatever their relationship status currently was.

The elevator doors opened to reveal Tony. “Hey, Rogers.” He reached out to give Steve a hug who meekly accepted it.

“Hi, Tony.” Steve responded, his voice lowering as he let Tony linger.

Tony then drew Steve nearer to kiss him, a kiss that moved quite slowly between them as Tony used his thumb to stroke Steve’s neck. Steve rested his hands on Tony’s waist and squeezed. Both men breathed deeply into the kiss before Tony broke away.

“Oh wow, you smell _very _nice. Like more so than usual.” Tony grinned upward at Steve as he backed away a bit.

Steve blushed, prompting a laugh from Tony. “Sorry about the late response, but thanks for checking about allergies. I’ll pretty much eat anything.” Steve clarified; his expression reticent.

“Is that right?” Tony winked before letting go completely, and Steve’s face flushed once more from the suggestive tone evident in Tony’s voice.

Tony laughed heartily before taking Steve’s hand, leading him toward the kitchen. “Peter and I don’t usually cook, but we thought it would be nice to make something special for dinner that was more than two ingredients and not breakfast related.”

As Tony explained dinner, Steve, upon entering the kitchen, immediately spotted a small child standing on top a step ladder below the stove top, stirring something in a huge pot with a giant wooden spoon. Steve stopped short from entering; meeting Peter was now the real deal.

Tony squeezed Steve’s arm before walking over to Peter who was stirring so vigorously that he splashed a good deal of whatever was in the pot on top of the stove.

“Hey, Peter. Come over here and meet Steve.” Peter turned around with a huge smile at the sound of Tony’s voice. He then jumped down from the ladder, running up to Steve before stopping short to salute him.

“Captain Rogers.” Peter addressed Steve as sternly as possible which caused Tony to chuckle.

Steve grinned at Tony; he knew Tony had taught his son to greet him formerly, which he found both cute and reassuring.

Steve saluted Peter back. “At ease, private.” He answered before squatting to be at eye level with Peter.

He stuck out his hand for Peter to shake. “Nice to meet you, Peter.”

Peter shook Steve’s hand as best as he could. “Nice to meet you too, Steve.”

Peter spun around to face Tony who was smiling at the nine-year old. Tony then reached downward, hoisting Peter over his shoulder.

"Let's check on the food." 

Peter squealed with delight as Tony carried him to the stove. Steve laughed as he stayed near the island in the middle of the kitchen.

Tony put Peter down on top of the step ladder. “So, how’s it looking, Parker?”

Peter held the spoon out for Tony to taste. “It’s soupy like you said.”

Tony tasted whatever was on the spoon, considering Peter’s statement. “I actually said _saucy_, but I can see where there was a breakdown in communication.” He grinned.

Peter giggled. “That’s the same thing!”

Tony nodded thoughtfully as he poured more spices into their concoction. “I can also see why you would say that, but I would have said soupy if I meant soupy.” Tony ruffled up Peter’s hair which prompted him to let out a groan.

“Do you two need any help?” Steve asked, putting his hand on Tony’s shoulder as he approached the stove.

Tony placed a hand on Steve’s before rubbing it. He turned his head somewhat. “Thanks, Rogers, but we got it handled. Right, Parker?”

“Yep!” Peter answered, still trying to stir with the giant spoon.

Tony turned to face Steve more directly. “Why don’t you relax a bit?” He reached out to rub Steve’s arm.

Steve smiled; he looked downward before looking directly at Tony. “Okay, but I’ll hang out in the kitchen for moral support.”

Tony chuckled. “Thanks, Cap.” He ruffled Peter’s hair once more with a grin before motioning for Steve to follow him to the fridge.

Steve let Tony walk ahead of him, hesitating a bit before following. He finally caught up with Tony, standing a little too closely behind him as the latter opened the fridge. Tony made a show of trying to find something for Steve to drink.

“Wanna La Croix?” Tony asked.

Steve placed on a hand on Tony’s side. “Sure.”

Tony turned around with a smile and a lime La Croix. “Here ya go.” He held the can up for Steve as best as he could, but Steve was holding him too close to his body.

Steve grinned before letting go of Tony to accept the can. “Lime? I don’t get to choose?”

Tony smirked as he turned to close the fridge. “You want Pamplemousse instead?” He walked back over to Peter to make sure he wasn’t splashing more food all over the place.

Steve laughed as he cracked open the can. “I don’t even know what that is.”

Tony laughed as he leaned over Peter to help him with the food. “What do you think? Should we taste it again?”

Peter nodded as Tony tasted the food. “Okay _now_ it’s saucy.”

Peter giggled as Tony picked him up from the ladder. He gently placed Peter down in front of Steve before returning to the pot on the stove.

“Okay, help yourself. Our dining room is too big for three people, but Peter and I are putting on airs for you, Rogers.” He turned around to address Steve with a smile.

“Steve,” Steve looked downward to see that Peter was tugging at his pants, “…you can sit next to me.”

A wash a relief flooded over Steve; it definitely felt like Peter was comfortable with him.

“Okay, I would like that.”

The three shuffled around plating their food until everyone was ready to head into the dining room. There was a long hand-crafted dining room table in the middle of the space, large enough to seat at least twenty people. Steve noticed that Tony had arranged some chairs at the head of the table so that the three of them weren’t too far apart from one another. Tony helped Peter with his plate and his chair before motioning for Steve to sit down next to Peter. Steve blushed again as Tony pulled his chair out for him.

“Thanks, Tony.” Steve mumbled, too shy to really acknowledge Tony.

Everyone settled before they began to eat. Tony asked Peter about his day, prompting Peter to give both Tony and Steve a lengthy rundown that involved him and his best friend, Ned, discovering that there was something amiss about the latter’s cat.

“Ned’s mom said that she was going to have babies!” Peter exclaimed, squiggling around in his chair. Both Tony and Steve were laughing during the story’s detailed narrative.

“Did you take her to the vet?” Steve asked.

Peter nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! She’s okay.”

Tony chuckled as he used his fork to point toward Steve. “Peter, why don’t you tell Steve about your art class?”

Peter looked at Steve before turning red. “Tony…”

“What do you like to do in your class? I mostly sketch.” Steve asked.

He watched Peter slowly look up at him and smile a little, although it was clear that he was timid about being put on the spot.

“I like to sketch, too…” He offered quietly.

Steve smiled, but not too much in case Peter was over talking about art. “Really? I would like to see them someday.”

Peter beamed as it became clear that Steve was genuinely interested. “Okay!”

Steve retained a soft expression toward Peter before returning to his food. As they continued to eat, Steve felt a hand slide across his leg. He glanced over at Tony, trying not to turn pink from the intimate contact in front of Peter. However, Tony didn’t make a big deal about it; in fact, the longer he kept his hand on Steve’s leg, the more Steve was beginning to feel more comfortable being so close to Tony.

Peter began detailing another one of his adventures with Ned until Tony found a moment to talk about the upcoming promotional tour.

“So, the best advice I can give you when it comes to promotional tours is to keep smiling no matter what. They usually field the questions for us, but if you get a hard ball, try to counter with something positive about the program.”

Steve nodded as Tony spoke.

“We’ll have a script that we need to follow for the actual presentation, but feel free to improvise.” He grinned knowingly at Steve.

Steve cringed. “I don’t think I’ll be good at that. I’ve never really done this before.”

Tony stopped mid bite. “’Never really’?” He repeated.

“I…was in an ad…thing once for the military.” Steve answered reluctantly, hoping that would satisfy Tony.

Yet, Tony remained persistent. “Oh no, you don’t get to stop there. Elaborate please, Captain Rogers.” He smiled widely, waiting for Steve to continue.

Steve rolled his eyes. “They asked a few of us to participate in recruitment campaign for the army. It was around the time I became a Captain.”

While Steve was explaining, Tony tapped a few times on this phone. He laughed hysterically as soon as he found the thing he was searching for.

“Oh my god! I remember this ad. There you are!” Tony turned the volume up on his phone as he played the video.

Steve groaned as he tried to get the phone away from Tony, but the latter maneuvered effortlessly around him, still laughing at Steve’s expense. Tony got up from his chair to show the video to Peter who clapped his hands as soon as he recognized Steve. “That’s you, Steve!” He exclaimed with delight.

Tony’s laughter finally subsided. “It sure is.”

Steve sighed as he watched Tony and Peter comment on his ad. But as he watched, he began to laugh with them; something about the moment felt warm and familial.

“Okay, I know I look so lame.” Steve added.

Tony shook his head. “No, you look very handsome, Rogers.” He put is phone back into his pocket before returning to his chair. Steve got up to pull his chair out for him.

“Uh, thanks, Rogers…” Tony said quietly. Steve smiled back at him but noticed that Tony was shuffling around, trying not to look directly at him.

Steve decided to not ruminate on it as he switched the conversation back to the promotional tour which appeared to return Tony to his normal disposition.

The rest of the night was more pleasant than both Tony and Steve could have hoped for. After dinner, the three of them hung out for a bit in the rec room where Peter kept most of his toys and failed science experiments, before Tony begrudgingly broke up the party to announce that Peter needed to finish his homework before going to bed.

Sometime later, Steve and Tony quietly rode the elevator down to the lobby. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Tony stepped to the side with his arm stretched out to let Steve out first. Tony followed him closely from behind before Steve turned around to face him.

“I had a really nice time tonight, Tony. Peter’s great.” Steve said as he watched Tony approach him before pulling him into a hug.

“Too bad you’re not spending the night…” Tony murmured, tilting his head upward to kiss Steve.

Steve smiled before leaning downward to kiss him back. “But I will this weekend.” He reminded Tony.

Tony nodded before looking away from Steve before gently untangling himself. He coughed a couple times, before turning his head to look at Steve, wearingly.

“Let me know when you get back to your place.” Tony asked softly.

Steve nodded, holding Tony’s arm before turning to leave the lobby. He waved at Tony as soon as he exited, watching Tony wave back.

* * *

_Later that night…_

“Dammit. What was the fucking code again?”

Clint was standing at the entrance to Tony and Steve’s lab, fumbling around for a piece of paper he had shoved in his pocket that had the access code scribbled on it.

“Ah! Found it.” Clint grinned to himself as he typed the code to get into the lab.

“Good Evening, Mr. Barton.” J.A.R.V.I.S. greeted Clint.

Clint waved his hand around without really responding as he walked up to the console Tony usually used. He stopped before pulling out another crumbled piece of paper full of instructions Natasha and Bruce had given him about some sequences they needed for something, but Clint couldn’t really remember.

Bruce and Natasha were working at S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Headquarters and had asked him to go back to Stark Industries to retrieve some numbers. He had trouble understanding why he had to get the fucking numbers or whatever they were; they could just wait until the morning when Tony was in, but Natasha and Bruce preferred to work late.

“They’re so made for each other but are too dumb to even notice.” Clint sighed to himself, groaning as he tried to make sense of the task he was given.

But before he could really get anywhere, suddenly the back of his head felt weirdly numb. As Clint tried to process what just happened, his knees buckled underneath him as he fainted.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Tony was in the process of tucking Peter into his bed, still feeling woozy from finally having Steve over to meet his son. He couldn’t believe how well the dinner went and he even managed not to have a panic attack.

“Tony?”

Tony finished tucking Peter’s blanket underneath him. “What’s up? And keep in mind that you only have a few minutes left until official bedtime.” He said through a grin.

Peter shuffled around to get comfortable. “Is…Steve your boyfriend?”

The word “boyfriend” instantly formed a lump at the base of Tony’s throat.

“Uh, no…why?” He almost asked in a rattled-sounding voice.

Peter shuffled once before he settled. “Um…Ned’s mom has a new boyfriend…and he said she’s happier now.” Peter looked intently at Tony and smiled.

“...you’re a lot happier now…”

Tony leaned backward, pretending to be tucking Peter in as he tried to process what his kid had just laid on him.

“Uh, you think I’m unhappy?” Tony asked quietly.

“Hmmm, just happier…” It sounded like Peter had sensed Tony’s uneasiness and attempted to correct himself as much as possible.

Tony nodded as he tried to convey to Peter that he wasn’t upset. He sighed before continuing.

“Okay, you have to keep this a secret. This is just between you and me, okay?”

Peter nodded quickly as he peeked out from underneath his covers.

“I like Steve…a lot…but don’t tell anyone I said this. Especially Steve.”

Peter nodded once more as Tony readjusted his pillow before sitting back again. “Also, I’ll only keep seeing Steve if you’re okay with it. It’s important to me that you like him.”

Peter’s eyes lit up. “I really like Steve!”

Tony chuckled. “Okay, good. Glad we’re on the same page.”

“We should have him over for breakfast.” Peter added innocently.

Tony thought about the proposal before nodding. “I think that’s a great idea. I’ll ask him about it.”

He took a moment before continuing, unsure if he should bring up having Steve stay over when Peter was home.

“Would it be okay then if Steve stays over some of the time during the week?” He asked.

Peter looked to be seriously considering the idea. “That would make it easier for breakfast.” He concluded.

Tony laughed as he ruffled Peter’s hair. “Yes, of course. I knew you were the smarter one out of the two of us.”

Peter giggled as Tony said goodnight. After closing the door to Peter’s room, Tony dragged his feet to his bedroom, now feeling woozy from Peter picking up on his feelings toward Steve.

Tony opened the door to his dimly lit bedroom, walking up to the edge of the bed before falling over with a loud groan. He turned over onto his back to look up at the ceiling, thinking about Steve and the dinner. Strangely, his brain then translated that into the conversation he had with Pepper a while back about the fallout of their relationship which made him groan even louder.

What if he messed up this thing with Steve? They weren’t serious, which made it easier for Tony to process somewhat besides having to stave off panic attacks around Steve.

Tony turned over on his side, staring at the side of the bed Steve usually slept on whenever he spent the night. Tony sighed loudly, wishing Steve was with him now. He turned over on his other side, remembering to check his messages. He peered at his phone which was facing downward on the bedside table, turning it over to find a message from Steve sent a while back.

**Steve:** I’m home! Can’t wait for this weekend 😊

Tony smiled wildly, feeling the warmest feeling inside. He typed back a reply before turning the screen off. He then turned over onto his back, trying to fall asleep, but all he could think about was Steve. He glanced at his phone before grabbing it again, tapping a few times until the message from Steve appeared. Tony stared at the message before hugging his phone to his chest before placing it back down on the table. He then turned back over on his side to face Steve’s usual side of the bed, still smiling.


	21. Chapter 21

_The next morning…_

“Oh, so how did those sequences turn out, Banner?”

Tony and Bruce were riding the employee express elevator to the Research and Development floor in Stark Tower after one of their weekly breakfast dates.

Bruce sighed loudly as he removed his eyeglasses. “Your guess is as good as mine. We never got the numbers from Clint.”

“What?” Tony frowned at Bruce, “did you call him?” He asked as the elevator stopped at their destination. Clint was infamous for his sometimes-careless behavior, but he never dropped the ball quite like this before.

Bruce nodded as they walked to the main conference room. “Yes. A few times, actually. Natasha’s worried. She said she’s never had trouble getting a hold of him.”

Even given the situation, the last statement seemed to bother Bruce the most. Tony mentally filed it away to tackle later as he was too concerned about Clint’s behavior and the missing sequences.

As Tony and Bruce entered the conference room, it immediately became apparent that there was something unfortunate hanging in the air.

Tony glanced around the room quickly before taking a seat next to Steve who looked just as grave as everyone else. Natasha was standing near Thor on the opposite side of the table and Fury was perched at the front with his arms crossed. Tony took a moment before settling, lingering as he looked directly at Steve before acknowledging everyone else once more, noticing that Clint was missing. Bruce took a seat at the opposite head of the table. He looked just as confused by the subdued atmosphere as Tony was.

“Uh, who died?” Tony asked. Although he was still perplexed by the situation, he tried to ease the tension with his usual charm.

Fury uncrossed his arms to rest his hands on his hips. Tony turned slightly to watch Steve lean forward to rest his elbows on the table.

“Barton was attacked last night…he was doing some work in your lab before someone assaulted him.” Fury coolly explained.

Tony trained his eyes on Bruce who also looked shocked.

“W-what happened?” Tony tried, leaning backward in his chair.

Fury sighed as he crossed his arms again. “We don’t know the full details yet. He’s at Mount Liberty, though. Strange is his main doctor and I’ve been told his vitals are great and he’ll be okay…”

As he listened to Fury explain Clint’s condition, Tony clenched his fists on top of the table. He felt a hand caress his shoulder, turning to see that Steve was attempting to calm him down while still facing the group.

Tony appreciated the gesture, not really caring or realizing that such a move might appear more intimate than they usually let on. Tony was too distressed that his team members were now in danger because of this damn Synergy project.

“Stark, you and I need to have a formal meeting with the Synergy executive committee, but I think it’s still fine to proceed with the promotional tour. We can’t push it back any further.” Fury continued.

Although everyone was concerned about Clint’s wellbeing, they all nodded or murmured in some form of agreement with Fury’s statement.

“…we need to pay a visit to our fallen comrade…” Thor added, to which everyone else either responded to verbally or with a nod.

As the group continued to chat about Clint and the promotional tour, Tony silently seethed. This ridiculous project that he didn’t even want to work on in the first place was turning out to be the fucking nightmare he knew it would become. Whether Obadiah was involved or in cahoots with some black-market weapons dealers was beside the point; based on this incident, there could be a myriad of enemies and competitors who were trying to sabotage Synergy.

Suddenly, Tony stood up quickly, but he took his time before addressing the group.

“...we need to put the device on lock until further notice. No missions _or _simulations.” He calmly concluded.

Fury nodded, uncrossing his arms to rest them on a chair back in front of him. “I agreed, Stark. How long do you think it’ll take before we can use the device again?”

Tony looked at Bruce. “What do you think, Banner?”

Bruce readjusted his eyeglasses before crossing his arms with a shrug. “I think if we keep it on lock for a few weeks, maybe a month—tops—is fine.”

Natasha nodded as she walked over to settle next to Bruce. “That’ll give S.H.I.E.L.D. some time to sniff out any boogies.” She looked at Fury.

Fury rested his hands on his hips. “I think that’s fair. Okay, so we’re locking down the device.”

As it became clear that the conversation had reached a logical conclusion, everyone began to murmur to one another. Tony, still standing, looked downward at Steve before sighing heavily to himself. He glanced around the room once more before rushing out of the conference room without speaking another word.

Tony hustled as quickly as possible toward his office without making a scene but was soon stopped by a hand tenderly squeezing his shoulder.

“Tony?” Tony heard Steve call from behind.

Tony halted, but he remained facing away from Steve as he answered. “I’m fine. I need to write a memo about the device lock down.” He offered, although he mostly wanted to escape from the situation entirely.

Tony felt Steve’s hand let go of his shoulder. “Okay, I’ll see you later. I’ll let you know when we’re about to leave to visit Clint…” He answered softly.

Tony kept his back facing Steve as he nodded before picking up pace to get to his office. As soon as he was behind his closed office door, he could feel his chest restricting with pain, but it was different from the sensations he had been feeling earlier. Tony eyes landed on his desk as he spotted the original schematics his dad had drawn up of the Synergy device. He slowly approached the desk before angrily shoving the documents onto the floor. He turned around with a groan, slumping downward.

_There is no way I can keep this project running…_Tony criticized himself as he hugged his knees against his chest.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Steve stood in place as he watched Tony march away from him. He was tempted to follow, but figured it was probably best to give him some space.

After learning about Clint earlier that morning, Steve wasn’t sure how to process his emotions. After Tony and Bruce had taken the time to upgrade the device to the new recommended safety measures, Steve had been sure that the team would be able to use the device more effectively. Now one of his teammates was in the hospital and the program was at a standstill.

Steve, ever since becoming close to Tony and working well with his team, staunchly believed in Synergy's importance and ability to actually save lives. While he agreed that the device should be at its safest, he feared that the program would be terminated if the team didn’t press forward.

Steve waited a bit before walking toward his lab. He sighed to himself, mulling over what happened to Clint and the current status of Synergy. As he walked, he passed one of the labs encased in frosted glass he usually past on route to his lab. However, something, like his first day, caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

Steve stopped and peered as best as he could through the glass to see two figures standing in the lab. One figure was quite animated with their gestures while the other stood somewhat still. Steve looked back and forth down the hallway before inching closer toward the glass.

As soon as he drew nearer, one of the figures marched out of the space, brushing past him, revealing one of Stark Industries’ higher-level scientists, Dr. Erik Selvig, as he headed in the opposite direction of Steve’s lab.

Steve remained still, hoping Dr. Selvig hadn’t noticed him spying through the glass. He watched the scientist stride quickly down the corridor.

“Steve Rogers, right?” Steve’s eyes widened as he heard his name called from behind.

He turned to face Loki, who was standing in the threshold of the entrance to his lab. His expression was marked by an unsettling grin which Steve found extremely unnerving.

“It’s funny that we both work here, but I’ve yet to see you in person.” Loki joked with his hand out for Steve to shake.

Steve struggled to prevent himself from grimacing as he accepted Loki’s hand. There was still something about Thor’s brother that threw him off.

“Yeah, I guess this place is bigger than it appears. Nice to see you again, Loki.” Steve lied.

Loki kept grinning, but then his face relaxed as he rested both hands on his hips. “Sorry to hear about Clint.”

Steve winced; he had been sure that the only people who knew about Clint was himself and the rest of the team who had just learned about it that morning.

Loki appeared to sense Steve’s confusion. “My brother sent me a text as soon as he heard.” He clarified.

Steve eyed Loki, but then conveyed neutrality to avoid making the atmosphere between the two men more awkward than it already was.

“Thanks…” Steve finally responded.

They stared awkwardly at each other before Steve coughed uncomfortably. “We’re planning to visit him in the hospital later if you would like to join us?” He offered.

Loki’s expression softened before he shook his head. “Would love to, you know, support Synergy and all, but I have to get back to something I’m working on but keep me updated.” He snapped his fingers in Steve’s direction, obviously insincere about the whole situation, before disappearing back into his lab.

Steve, baffled by Loki’s strange demeanor, waited for him to reenter his lab before walking past to head toward his own. He remembered that Tony had told him not to worry about Loki, but he knew he needed to keep an eye on him in the future.

* * *

_Later in the day…_

The team had gathered to visit Clint at Mount Liberty Hospital. The group looked on from a window in the hallway as Dr. Strange and some nurses whirled around Clint’s bed. Strange stopped to talk to a nurse before walking out of the room to greet the team.

Tony was standing next to Steve with a clear view though the room window, while the rest of the team was standing toward other side of the hallway.

Tony was sure his anxiety was palpable; he almost declined visiting Clint, continually reproaching himself for his teammate’s attack.

Strange opened the door out into the hallway. He looked back and forth amongst the team before speaking. He was smiling, albeit his expression was weary.

“Mr. Barton’s vitals are good. We’re just keeping him under for the rest of the night and into the morning to give his body a rest.” He calmly explained.

An audible sigh of relief collectively escaped the team before Tony spoke up. “Did he say anything?”

Strange shook his head. “No, just some murmuring here or there, but nothing substantial.”

Tony nodded, but then hung his head low. He could feel Steve inching closer toward him, but not too close.

Steve held his hand out toward Strange. “Thanks for all you’ve done, Doctor. Tony’s been telling me that you’re the best.”

Strange smiled as he shook Steve’s hand. He glanced over at Tony who only shrugged. Strange simpered, obviously now revealing that he had figured out that Steve was the person Tony had been experiencing panic attacks over.

But instead of giving Tony a hard time about it, Strange kept smiling at Steve. “Well, I’m glad Tony’s capable of kind word,” he grinned before turning around to reenter the room, “but, he’s not so bad either.” Strange’s last statement prompted a loud groan from Tony.

“Tony, what’s wrong?” Steve asked, appearing unaware that Strange was teasing Tony about his relationship with him.

Tony rolled his eyes dramatically. “Nothing,” he placed a hand on Steve’s arm before turning around to face the team who had been talking among themselves during the exchange.

“Okay, team.” Tony clapped his hands together. “Even though the device is on lock, let’s not let that stop us. We have that promotional thing coming up, but I need you all to keep working on your individual tasks.”

Tony pointed to Natasha. “Romanov, why don’t you hang out with Thor and Banner until you get your lab mate back.”

Natasha nodded sternly. “Gotcha.”

Tony turned a few degrees to address Steve. “Rogers, although the device is on lock, we can still test it. We’ll keep running those sequences.” Steve nodded emphatically.

“Okay, so now that everyone knows what to do in the interim, outside of this damn promotional tour, let’s try to keep a low profile. I don’t want to get back on the board’s radar unless we’ve saved some people from a burning building or stopped a bullet or whatever.” Tony waved a hand about as he concluded.

Bruce, Natasha, and Thor huddled together before walking down the hallway. Tony was left standing awkwardly next to Steve. He glanced upward at Steve with a sheepish grin.

“Does…,” Steve began slowly, “…Dr. Strange know we’re seeing each other?”

Tony cringed before letting out a weird cough, shuffling around meaninglessly before he answered Steve.

“Uh…I might have mentioned something…” Tony answered as he walked past Steve quickly.

Steve laughed as he gently caught Tony by the arm before he could get away any further. “I don’t mind, Tony. Actually, I’m kind of glad.” He said kindly.

Tony coughed again. He looked away from Steve. “Well, I’m not putting everything on blast.” He tried to explain before returning to face him.

Steve chuckled before resting his hands on his hips. “Okay, Tony.” He gazed at Tony. His expression was sincere; an expression that usually made Tony melt.

Tony coughed once more before spinning around to walk down the hallway. “Come on, Rogers. We have work to do.” He tried without sounding awkward, but he was sure he did.

Tony heard Steve laugh quietly before he felt the latter catch up with him.

* * *

_The next morning…_

Natasha approached the window looking into Clint’s hospital room. She could see Clint sitting up in his bed, talking with his wife, Laura, while their kids played in a corner.

Natasha smiled to herself although she was exhausted from worrying about Clint all night. She took her time turning to open the door to the room. As soon as she opened the door, Laura saw her almost immediately, waving for her to come inside, rising from her chair near Clint’s bed to give her a hug.

“Nat! I’m so glad you could make it!” Natasha let herself be pulled into the hug.

Natasha patted her on the back before turning to face Clint. She crossed her arms to prevent herself from clamming up at the sight of her friend lying in the bed hooked up to machines.

Clint smiled weakly at her. “Nat…it’s good seeing you…” He squeaked out.

Natasha nodded with a slight smile. Laura motioned for her to take the chair next to the bed.

“I’m going to get some snacks and coffee from the café. I’ll be right back.” She rubbed Natasha’s shoulder before reaching over to kiss Clint delicately on his forehead. He nodded back at her as both he and Natasha watched her leave the room.

Natasha waited a second or two before addressing Clint. “How are you feeling?” She asked softly.

Despite how worn he looked Clint managed to shuffle around a little in the bed to get more comfortable.

“I’m doing better than I was the other day and when they put me under, I guess.” He sneered.

Natasha smiled as she reached out to rub his shoulder. “Clint, I’m sorry to ask you this,” she then sat backward in her chair, “but do you remember anything from that night?” Her facial expression had turned grim.

Clint sighed. “All I remember is trying to find those damn numbers before my legs gave out.” He looked at Natasha before looking up at the ceiling.

Natasha conveyed her sincerity. “Do you remember seeing anyone else working in the labs that night before going into Stark and Rogers’s?”

Clint squeezed his eyes shut as he appeared to try to recount the night. “…it was super late, so most of the labs were empty, but…” He trailed off before continuing, “…I remember seeing someone in the lab next door…I didn’t recognize him though…”

Natasha nodded sternly. She rubbed Clint’s shoulder again, trying to ease her friend, noting to herself that she wasn’t going to get much more out of him.

“So, uh, “Clint coughed, but he was grinning at his friend, “you get that date with Banner yet? You two were working late last time I was conscious…”

Natasha communicated her annoyance with the question, but then she smiled at Clint. “No, I have not.”

Clint shrugged. “Nat, I know you don’t want to hear this, but you’re probably going to have to make the first move.” Although his statement was earnest, his voice shook from fatigue.

Natasha nodded her head with a sigh. “Yeah, it’s looking like that might be the case. I don’t mind doing it, Clint, I just want to make sure he’s interested.”

Clint chuckled, but then stopped, groaning in pain. “He’s _so_ interested. Why wouldn’t he be?”

Natasha laughed to herself, looking away from Clint before glancing upward with a grin.

“We got to talk a bit while working on the sequences despite not having everything we need.” She teased.

Clint laughed warmly. “There you go!”

Natasha continued to smile as she watched Clint try to reach for some medicine on a table near his bed. She chuckled as she grabbed the bottle for him.

“You saw someone in the lab next door?” She asked as she handed him medicine.

Clint nodded as he motioned for her to hand him a water cup with a straw in it. “Yep. It might have been one over, but it was close.”

Natasha nodded as she watched Clint sallow his medicine. Her expression turned determined as she thought about Clint’s observation.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Tony heard a hard knock on his door, praying for the best but obviously expecting the worst given how horrible the last day and a half had been.

“Come in!” Tony shouted as he shuffled some papers around on his desk.

The office door opened to reveal Obadiah. “Anthony.”

_Of course, I have to deal with this fucking bullshit_. Tony groaned to himself as he gave Obadiah the most disingenuous smile.

“Obie. How may I help you?” He motioned half-heartedly for Obadiah to take a seat in front of his desk.

Obadiah nodded, taking his time approaching the chair. He unbuttoned his suit jacket as he sighed theatrically, sitting down in the chair with a huff. Tony nearly rolled his eyes as he tightly intertwined his hands on top of his desk.

“I think you already know why I’m here.” Obadiah started, looking around casually before training his focus on Tony.

Tony remained calm before responding. “We’re putting the device on lock until we can keep the team safe.”

Obadiah laughed quietly as he looked downward. He had twisted his body to the side so that his forearm was on the back of the chair.

“Anthony, I don’t think I need to tell you that this doesn’t look good.”

Tony leaned backward in his chair as he pursed his lips together. “Of course, it doesn’t, Obie. Fury and his agents sound like they have the security part handled.”

“Do they?” Obadiah questioned intently. His expression was beginning to make Tony more uncomfortable than he had already been.

Tony had to stop himself from rolling his eyes again. He shifted in his seat but before he could say anything, Obadiah continued.

“Your father wouldn’t have let this happened…” He coldly added.

Tony could feel his face growing hot; so hot that he had to keep one hand on the armrest of his chair to steady himself.

“_My_ dad couldn’t even get the device to work, so he never had the chance to prove otherwise.” Tony countered sharply.

Obadiah stared at Tony who returned the expression.

“Right, you’ve always been a step ahead, Anthony.” Obadiah laughed to himself.

Tony removed his hand from the armrest, straightening out his sports coat before addressing Obadiah. He wasn’t going to let Obadiah and his customary psychological warfare torture him today.

Tony grinned widely. “Thanks for the confidence, Obie. You’re a real one.” He smirked with a wink, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Obadiah grinned back at him before taking his time rising from his chair. “I need full reports on the new safety procedures and whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. is doing in the interim to find this attacker.” Obadiah spun around before walking to the office door.

“Whatever we find goes through Pepper then to you. You’re a sucker for chain of command, Obie.” Tony mocked, although he managed to sound not as nasty as he had intended.

However, Obadiah only laughed. “Of course, Anthony. We must respect the chain of command.”

He grinned at Tony once more before opening the door to exit the office. Tony groaned loudly to himself as soon as he was left alone, burying his head in his hands. His moment of solitude was soon interrupt, nevertheless, as another knock rapped on his door.

“Come in!” Tony yelled, more annoyed with Obadiah than anything else.

The door narrowly propped open; Steve’s head poked into the room. He looked concerned. Tony exhaled to himself as he realized it was only Steve.

“Are you okay? Should I come back later?” Steve asked quietly.

Tony shook his head; he got up from his desk to greet Steve at the door.

“I’m sorry,” Tony began motioning for Steve to come in, “Obie was just in here being an asshole per usual.”

They met each other near the middle of the office. Tony let Steve rub his arm as Tony leaned inward toward Steve’s body, making a move to hug him. Steve reciprocated the hug, practically holding Tony.

“Are we still on for tomorrow?” Steve whispered as he tightened his grip.

Tony sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, Steve. But I have to use most of the weekend to sort through this fucking mess,” he pushed away from Steve but held onto him, “maybe we can have dinner on Sunday?”

Steve smiled as he looked downward at Tony. “Of course, Tony. I completely understand. I can make you dinner.”

Tony mused as he smiled upward at Steve, but then he began to feel that weird pain in his chest again. Tony coughed as he disengaged himself from Steve, walking back over to his desk, trying to remain as calm as possible.

“I…uh…I’m going to get some work done in here for most of the day before going to a meeting.” He awkwardly tried. He was doing his best again to mask an eventual panic attack.

Tony managed to look over at Steve who was standing with his hands rested on his hips.

“Okay, let me know if you need anything, all right?” Steve continued to smile.

Tony tried to return the expression but his conversation with Obadiah and his weird chest pain turned his face into a half grimace.

“Yep, will do, Cap.” He answered meekly.

Steve laughed quietly before taking his time turning around to exit the office. He lingered a bit before closing the door. Tony let out another groan as soon as he was left alone, clenching his chest, trying to tell himself to be calm.

He thought about spending more time with Steve. He thought about the way Steve smiled at him which, surprisingly, began to loosen the pain somewhat. He took a deep breath as he thought about Steve interacting with Peter, telling himself that everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't want to give anything away, but next chapter finally gets to the good stuff. *wink* *wink*


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter contains explicit sexual content. 😏

_Sunday evening…_

“Tony, it’s not your fault.”

It was later in the evening, and Tony and Steve were standing in the former’s kitchen making dinner for themselves.

Tony groaned as felt Steve from behind. He braced himself against the countertop as he let Steve give him a hug.

“I know, Steve. But whoever attacked Clint was probably looking for the device…” He explained, his voice trembling.

Tony knew Clint’s assault had something to do with the device. His attack didn’t make much sense without considering that crucial factor. He knew there were people out there, beyond Obadiah, who wanted to get their hands on the device, but Tony never thought the project would become this dangerous.

Tony sighed deeply as he turned to face Steve. “…I’m thinking about suspending Synergy indefinitely, just until we figure out how to keep everyone safe…”

“Tony,” Steve was looking downward at him, holding onto his arms, “I understand where you’re coming from…and I’m on your side whatever you choose to do, but we can’t let whoever is trying to sabotage us win like this.”

Tony, as he let Steve hold him, groaned again. “Steve, it’s not about winning or losing. It’s about safety.”

Steve turned his head to look slightly away from Tony before addressing him again. “I think we would be doing a disservice if we stop the project.”

Tony considered Steve’s position; he appreciated his unflinching doggedness, but Tony feared that there could be more danger ahead if they advanced the project. Besides, this was his dad’s legacy, not his. He had no obligation to finish it, even if Tony had figured out how to get the device to work.

Tony gently broke away from Steve to walk toward the island in the middle of the kitchen. He crossed his arms before turning around to face Steve again.

“I’m only working on this because my dad began it. He couldn’t even figure out how to get the damn thing to work.”

Tony stared intently at Steve who was now leaning against the counter. “Tony, you not only figured out how to get Synergy to work, so I have no doubt you’ll figure out how to keep the team safe.”

Tony waited as he ruminated on Steve’s encouragement, which the latter was definitely good at. However, it equally perplexed Tony to hear Steve persist relentlessly about continuing Synergy when it seemed like Steve, based on the argument over the failsafe, was more concerned about safety.

“Weren’t you the one who gave me a hard time about the failsafe, Rogers?” Tony asked, making sure to convey to him that he was only teasing, yet curious to hear Steve explain himself.

Steve sighed as he looked downward before looking up at Tony. “I do care about yours and the team’s safety. But I think the Synergy device plays into that. It can do more good than harm. Much more. That’s the reason why I signed up for this in the first place.”

Tony crossed his arms as he listened; he knew that if Steve wasn’t on the team, he probably would have disbanded the project without further debate. Although not too concerned about his own safety, Tony was concerned about others, especially his team, despite what people perceived about him.

“The upgrades show this, Tony. And you have Shuri working on the project, too. It’ll only get better,” Steve reached out a hand toward Tony as he continued, “we have an opportunity to do great things with Synergy, Tony. And it’ll help in rerouting Stark Industries from weapons manufacturing like you want.” He ended with a restrained smile.

Tony smiled back, but his attitude was diffident. He was still worried about the future of Synergy and whatever the hell Obadiah was doing to try to stop it. However, he could feel Steve’s sincerity, knowing that the two of them would try to work together despite the odds.

Tony took a moment before answering. He kept his arms crossed, looking side to side before looking directly at Steve. “Okay, fine, Rogers. But you have to promise me we’ll always work as a team.”

Steve’s smile widened, instantly making Tony feel warm inside. “Deal.” He agreed.

Both men lingered a bit, now expressing the goofiest grins at the other, before Steve walked over to the island. Tony rubbed his shoulder as he passed before walking to the counter to finish the dinner that Steve had mostly prepared.

Steve pulled out a stool next to the island. “Oh, did I tell you that Sam, Bucky, and I are planning to get a bigger apartment when Bucky accepts his new assignment?” He settled on the stool, seemingly unaware of the bomb he had dropped on Tony.

And indeed, the question had paralyzed Tony. As he slowly turned away from the counter, Tony told himself to remain cool, but hearing that Steve and Bucky were moving in together began to bother him.

“Uh, no,” Tony counted to ten in his head, “I don’t think you ever mentioned it.” He attempted through gritted teeth, trying to keep his expression soft, but he was sure he was grimacing instead.

Steve didn’t seem to notice, however; he laughed instead. “Yeah, it’ll be great because I’ll get to see Bucky almost everyday now instead of once in a while.”

As he felt the pain in his chest again, Tony spun around to face the counter once more. He kept counting in his head as he plated dinner, taking his time before turning around again to settled next to Steve at the island.

“Well, that’s great.” Tony began as he handed Steve a plate, “I’m glad you’ll have your squad back.” He tried for as lightheartedly as possible which seemed to work because Steve just grinned at him before picking up a utensil to eat.

They began to eat, talking about nothing really until Tony remembered that he had made plans with Pepper for the following weekend. A strange feeling overtook him; he wasn’t sure if he should say anything to Steve.

Tony took a moment before clearing his throat. “So, uh, I’m planning to get dinner with Pepper next weekend…” He started as he placed his fork next to his plate before clasping his hands together, looking over at Steve.

Steve smiled, which Tony found oddly reassuring. “That sounds fun. What do you two have in mind?”

Tony blinked a few times before shrugging. “Uh, not sure. Figured I’d leave it up to her.”

Steve nodded as he continued to smile. “So…you don’t mind?” Tony slowly asked, but not sure if he should have.

Steve chuckled. “Why would I mind?”

Tony shrugged once more; he wasn’t sure what to say right away. He was just feeling weird about Steve moving in with Bucky, but Steve was okay with him seeing his ex? It didn’t make any sense.

“I, uh, well…” Tony began. Steve picked up on his tentativeness almost instantaneously. He reached out a hand to rub Tony’s shoulder.

“Tony, I don’t mind that you’re hanging out with Pepper. I know she’s important to you and that you lean on her for advice.” He ended with an affectionate smile.

Tony had to prevent his face from expressing how confused he felt on the inside. Here they were, having not established any boundaries with the status of their relationship and Steve was fine with him being around Pepper. He had never been in a situation like this before, but something about it felt strangely comforting.

Tony looked downward so that Steve couldn’t see that he was blushing from the comment. “Uh, well,” he cleared his throat again as the tingling sensation in the middle of his chest reappeared.

“…I really appreciate hearing that from you, Steve…”

Steve smiled at him again before continuing to eat and Tony’s heart nearly exploded.

* * *

_Later that night…_

“Shit, baby. I’m definitely going to come if you keep touching me like this.”

Steve groaned loudly as he removed his hands from Tony’s shoulders. The two of them were sitting on Tony’s bed: Tony was on the edge with his legs hanging off the side and Steve was behind him giving him a massage.

“There’s no need for vulgarity, Tony.” Steve replaced his hands on Tony’s shoulder to pinch him.

Tony laughed. “Hey! It’s a compliment. Your massages are so good it feels like I’m on the brink of an orgasm.” He held up his hands to side with a shrug as if that were commonplace language.

“I’m sure there are better ways to pay me a compliment.” Steve returned to massaging Tony’s shoulders.

Tony sneered. “You fit the profile _so_ well, Rogers. On the outside, you ooze innocence, bravery, patriotism, whatever,” Tony was waving one of his arms about as he proceeded to give a physiological run down of Steve, “but…” he then turned around slightly before placing on hand on Steve’s thigh, “on the inside, you’re _so_ naughty.”

Steve looked down at Tony’s hand before looking up, shooting Tony his own sly grin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Tony.”

“Oh, is that so?” Tony leered back, making it known that he was on to Steve.

Steve’s expression remained the same as he only nodded. Tony wagged a finger in his direction.

“See, naughty Steve.”

Tony moved the hand he had on Steve’s thigh up his hip, his waist then his side, along his body until he reached his neck. He smiled as he caressed Steve before climbing on top of him to straddle his lap. The sudden movement on Tony’s part nearly knocked Steve off balance but the latter recovered quickly by using one hand to brace himself and the other to grabbed Tony’s waist before they toppled over.

Tony breathed deeply before titling his head downward to kiss Steve. He used both hands to hold onto to Steve’s face while he bobbed his body upward and downward along Steve waist, but their bodies only faintly made contact. Steve repositioned himself as he used both hands to hold onto Tony as he moved.

Tony bit Steve’s bottom lip before moving his head away somewhat. “I’m going to sound so juvenile and silly saying this, but I really enjoy making out with you…” He grinned, still holding onto Steve’s face.

Steve rubbed Tony’s backside, looking away before looking upward. He laughed to himself. “Me too, Tony.”

They stayed looking at the other liked this for a few more seconds, almost a minute. Tony was still bobbing up and down on Steve’s lap and Steve was tightening his grip on Tony’s waist. Tony then moved inward slowly for another kiss. Steve traced one of his hands up along Tony’s body, meeting his neck to massage before leaning to the side, turning Tony over onto his back so that they were both lying flat on the bed. Tony hugged his legs up against Steve’s sides as Steve let his hands roam.

“You know…,” Tony started, smiling through another kiss as his hands traveled down Steve’s backside, “I could probably come from just rubbing your ass…”

As with his comment about how great Steve’s massages felt, Tony felt comfortable enough in their relationship to make such an off-color joke.

Yet, instead of scolding him again, Steve hummed as he used one hand to hold onto Tony’s leg.

“Oh yeah?” He kissed Tony back as he bucked upwards to get a better hold. He then looked Tony directly in the eye as the fluctuation in his voice changed.

“…I’d…like to see you try…” He whispered.

Tony’s mouth bobbed opened and closed a few times. Indeed, Steve had a naughty side to him that had yet to be explored, but Tony would have never believed that Steve would be so deliberate when it came to teasing the possibility of sex.

Tony waited a moment before responding; this could either go extremely well or devastatingly spoil the night. He then transferred his energy into his sexiest bedroom self.

“…you want me to come from just rubbing your ass?” Tony asked; his voice grew quieter and deeper.

Steve nodded. “Yes…,” he whispered quietly before he began grinding against Tony’s body. He leaned downward to kiss him, using one hand to direct Tony’s hand toward cupping his ass. Tony complied as he grabbed Steve’s ass cheeks as hard as he could. He let out a moan and shut his eyes as Steve pushed downward into his body, using prolonged thrusts to rub him himself against Tony’s leg.

Tony grabbed Steve even harder as he kneaded Steve’s ass with his hands. He widened his legs to let Steve drop down further against his body which cause Steve to shift his body weight against him, grinding his cock up against Tony’s. As he felt his body react, Tony moaned loudly through their kiss, feeling Steve up against him; even through their clothing, Tony could feel Steve getting hard.

Tony removed one of his hands from Steve’s ass as he slowly traced his backside and neck before settling on gently stroking Steve’s face as they continued to hump each other. Steve wrapped a hand around Tony’s shoulder; he held on tightly as he used the other hand to hold his body at another angle. The shift in the angle elicited a sharp moan from Tony who used his legs to hug Steve’s body close against his own. He pushed upward into Steve’s body in time with him pushing downward. Tony groaned as he could feel both of their cocks growing harder with each thrust.

“…fuck, Steve…” Tony gasped, breaking away slightly from Steve’s lips as he dropped his hand on Steve’s face to his neck, now rubbing as he squeezed. Steve’s breathing grew harsher as his thrusts against Tony’s cock turned sharper and quicker. Tony smacked Steve’s ass, managing to stick a hand down Steve’s pants as he sped up his motions.

Steve whimpered as soon as Tony’s hand made contact with skin. He rutted against Tony as they continued making out heavily, gasping for air. Tony panted as he could feel himself pressing against the fabric of his pants. He then reached underneath Steve to get to his zipper, but he stopped short.

“Is this okay?” Tony asked quietly as his hand hovered near Steve’s crotch.

Steve stopped pushing for a second as he looked downward at Tony’s hand. “…yes…” he let out, smiling somewhat, yet his voice quivered.

Tony waited another second before unzipping Steve’s pants. He then unzipped his own before reaching past the opening of Steve’s to his briefs. Tony moaned as he felt Steve through the fabric, before tugging it down to pull out Steve’s cock. Steve’s breath hitched as Tony felt around before pulling his own cock out. Tony then tugged on Steve’s shirt, struggling a bit to remove it smoothly, which prompted a laugh from Steve as it caught on his nose before he was freed. Tony laughed with him, straightening up to yank of his own shirt before pulling Steve back down on the bed. Tony hesitated before wrapping a hand around both of their cocks to rub them together; he wasn’t sure how far Steve wanted to go.

But before he could make a decision, Steve rubbed his nose against Tony’s cheek. “I think I’m going to come, Tony.” He whispered.

The whispering set Tony off who then pushed upward sharply against Steve. His thrusts quickened with Steve’s as both men pressed against each other until both bodies began trembling. They continued like this for a moment or so before Tony could feel his body succumbing. He held onto Steve as tightly as possible without hurting him.

Steve breathed heavily as he pushed downward harder into Tony. Tony fought the urge to touch himself; he wanted to come by just grinding against Steve while holding him. Steve pulled on Tony’s neck as he inhaled then exhaled. Tony felt his body shake; he knew Steve was close, but he didn’t want to rush him.

Steve inhaled once more before shuddering; he gasped a quiet and unexpected “shit” before convulsing on top of Tony. Tony, after hearing Steve swear while coming, couldn’t help himself as he let go.

“…fuck, Steve…” He repeated as he felt a warm slick feeling between their stomachs. He pressed up against Steve who was a still grinding downward into his body. They held onto each other for a moment longer before Steve slid off Tony to lie down next to him. Both panted for a while, trying to catch their breath.

“Who knew…” Tony started, “…it would only take getting you into bed to hear you swear?” He exhaled, trying to sound cool but he was too amazed with how he felt as he continued to cup Steve’s ass.

Steve buried his face in the pillow underneath Tony’s head. “Tony…”

“What?” Tony laughed heartily, “It’s true. I just witnessed it.”

They remained quiet for some time before Steve shuffled around.

“…so it was fine…?” He asked.

Tony frowned as he glanced downward at Steve who was at this point nestled near his shoulder.

“Uh, it was more than fine, Rogers. I’ve been thinking about this for a while.” Tony’s comment had started out blithely, but it was clear by the end of his sentence that he was serious.

Steve shuffled some more, but never really moved from his spot. “Okay…I haven’t…” he began.

Tony squiggled a bit. “Haven’t what, Steve?” He ran a hand through Steve’s hair to indicate that it was fine for him to be open about whatever seemed to be bothering him.

Steve let out a ragged sigh. “…the last time I was with another guy…I was in college…so needless to say I don’t have much experience…” The words had sorely dragged out of Steve’s mouth.

Tony chuckled, however before he could tease Steve, he instantly began to wonder if this “guy in college” might have been Bucky. Tony thought quickly; he could either interrogate Steve about his love life before him, ruining an otherwise perfect moment of intimacy he had been dreaming about since he met Steve, or he could just let it go. Besides, he figured Steve would have told him if he had slept with Bucky.

_Hopefully, anyway…_Tony thought to himself.

Tony scooted up the bed, hugging Steve against his body. “Besides the fact that I couldn’t really tell, it doesn’t matter, if you think I’ll be weird about it.”

Steve let out the cutest muffled noise that caused Tony to hug him even tighter.

“…you’ve…been thinking about it for a while?” Steve asked, his voice was still very quiet.

Tony gently maneuvered his body so that he was now lying halfway on top of Steve. “Yeah, but even more so since I got to know you better…” He smiled sweetly down at Steve who reciprocated the expression.

They gazed at one another for a second or so longer before Steve shuffled his body from underneath Tony to sit up a bit.

“I should probably get going…” Steve said softly before leaning downward to kiss Tony. He searched around for his shirt, getting off the bed to attempt to straighten himself out. Tony chuckled as he reached over to his bedside table, opening the drawer before producing a Kleenex box.

He handed Steve a tissue. “Here, Rogers.” Tony said with a grin.

Steve blushed as he accepted the tissue, awkwardly wiping himself off before zipping up his pants.

“You know…” Tony began as he wiped himself off, “you can stay over if you want…” He took his time before finishing his thought.

“...I talked to Peter about us…and he told me he really likes you.”

Steve smiled widely before his face relaxed. “You talked to Peter about us?”

Tony nodded as he sat up more in the bed. “Yeah,” he smiled a little, “he also said he wouldn’t mind having you over for breakfast, so it might be easier for you to just stay…”

Steve looked to be considering the idea before he answered, smiling shyly. “I would love to, but I didn’t bring an overnight bag with me and we have to work tomorrow.”

Tony chuckled as he proceeded to get out of the bed. “Good point, Rogers. Let me drive you home.”

Steve smiled as Tony rose from the bed to find his shirt. Not so long after, both were in one of Tony’s classic cars on the way to Brooklyn. They rode silently for a while, chatting once or twice about Peter, but Tony was somewhat dazed by what had just happened between the two of them to fully articulate a thoughtful comment.

As Tony finally reached Steve’s apartment, Steve waited a bit before getting out.

“I had a really nice time tonight, Tony.” He offered faintly.

“Me too, Steve.”

Tony unbuckled his seat belt, lingering a bit before reaching over to stroke Steve’s neck. Steve breathed deeply as he accepted a kiss from Tony who then moved his other hand to rub Steve’s leg. Tony kept rubbing until he bumped against what felt like a semi-hard erection through Steve’s pants.

Tony pulled back from Steve with a grin. “Already again, Rogers? What are you? Superhuman?” He teased as he continued to rub Steve’s leg but kept his hand near his crotch.

Steve made a slight noise, turning his head away from Tony, obviously embarrassed.

“S-Sorry…” He answered.

Tony kept grinning as he gently turned Steve’s head so he could kiss him. “Why are you sorry?”

Tony could feel Steve smiling as they kissed. Steve broke away from him, but his face was still close.

“Would you like for me to take care of that for you?” Tony asked in a low voice.

“…uh, sure…?” Was all Steve could manage.

Tony grinned before reaching downward to unzip Steve’s pants. He felt around a bit, eliciting a sharp inhale from Steve. Tony looked at Steve, lingering before he finished unzipping his pants. He rubbed the back of Steve’s neck a bit longer before adjusting his body so he could lean downward near Steve’s crotch; he could feel Steve’s heart beating wildly.

Steve squeaked a small noise as Tony felt around through the fabric of his briefs before taking his time pushing the fabric down. Steve made another noise as his hardening cock sprung out, almost smacking Tony in the face.

Steve gripped Tony’s arm tightly as he tried to shuffle around. “S-sorry…” He repeated, grimacing.

Tony chuckled. “Steve,_ relax_.” He teased once more, before moving one hand to hold Steve’s waist and the other to grab the base of Steve’s cock.

Steve took in another short inhale of breath as Tony used his hand to stroke down and up the shaft, taking his time as he used his other hand to massage Steve’s waist. Steve shifted again, his body relaxing as he let Tony feel him. He moaned as Tony squeezed him a little; he then tilted upward to kiss Steve before bending downward again. Tony moved his hand further down Steve’s cock, engulfing Steve with his mouth. The move drew a sharp moan from Steve who instinctively bucked his hips upward into Tony’s mouth.

Tony held Steve still by squeezing his waist; he then licked up and down Steve before ending at the tip, taking his time to taste that very bit of Steve. Steve moved his hands slowly along Tony’s shoulders, moaning softly until one hand was running through Tony’s hair. Tony moaned with Steve in his mouth, squeezing even tighter with one hand on Steve’s cock and the other on Steve’s chest. Steve pushed Tony down onto himself as the sensation grew even more intense.

Steve took in another deep breath. “…Tony…I think…I’m going to come again…” He gasped.

Tony hummed back before quickening his pace along Steve’s cock, working with one hand and his mouth. Steve bucked upward slowly into Tony’s mouth until they were both in a good rhythm with each other. Tony kept going until Steve let out a muted cry, exhaling deeply as he came into Tony’s mouth. Tony waited before using his tongue to slide up Steve’s cock.

Steve pulled Tony up to his face as he gasped heavily from the intensity. Tony smiled at him before kissing him, taking his time as he used one hand to rub Steve’s neck again and the other to rub his leg.

“…Tony…you didn’t have to…you know…” Steve tried, attempting to refer to Tony swallowing.

Tony laughed. “Yeah, I know. I wanted to. Besides, it makes for easier clean up.” He winked at Steve.

Steve laughed back, but it was subdued. He looked downward and away from Tony. “Thank you…”

Tony could tell that Steve was still embarrassed but decided not to tease him about it. He leaned inward to kiss Steve, breathing deeply as the kiss moved slowly between them.

“No problem, Steve.”

Steve held onto Tony tightly as he let the latter rub his hands all over the top half of his body. Steve then put a hand on Tony’s chest.

“Um…,” he started, “I should probably get going…” Ending with his voice growing quieter.

Tony smiled at him before leaning backward. To Tony, Steve looked like the hottest mess mixed with the most innocent reticence.

“Right, I’ve kept you too long.” Tony joked.

Steve laughed again, which prompted a soft expression from Tony. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” Steve asked.

Tony scrunched up his face, but then his face relaxed as he proceeded to tease Steve again.

“Of course. We have to work tomorrow, Rogers. Isn’t that why I drove you home?”

Steve kept his grip on Tony, taking his time before answering. After a moment, Tony realized that Steve was really asking for reassurance as it related to their developing relationship. He looked downward with a smile before looking back up at Steve who looked like he was waiting for Tony to give him some very unpleasant news.

Tony rested a hand behind Steve’s neck. He used his thumb to caress behind Steve’s ear. “Yes, I _will _see you tomorrow.” Tony made sure to clarify with emphasis.

Steve nodded; his smiled widened with relief. “Okay, great.”

The two men lingered before Tony kissed Steve one last time. Steve fumbled as he tried to unbuckle himself, eventually needing assistance from Tony to get out of the car without looking too awkward. Steve closed the door and waved before turning around to walk toward his apartment. Tony waved back as he watched Steve walk away.

Before he could get to his apartment, Steve stopped abruptly, turning around suddenly before jogging back to the car. He knocked on the window a couple times before mimicking a revolving motion with his hand, the universal sign for rolling down a window before cars were completely automatic. Tony laughed as he pressed a button to roll down the passenger window.

“Drive safe and let me know when you get home, okay?” Steve asked, tapping his hand a couple times on the frame of the door before turning around again with a wave.

He then walked back toward his apartment, dropping his keys a few times before he finally reached the door. He turned back around and waved once more before closing the door.

Tony watched the door close. He waited a second or so before smiling to himself, turning the car engine on. Along the way home, all he could think about was how hot his moment with Steve was and how close he felt to him. He smiled ridiculously thinking about Steve as the private express elevator carried him up to the penthouse. As soon as the doors opened into the penthouse, Tony pulled out his phone to text Steve.

**Tony:** Home and safe! 🤪

He kept smiling as he headed toward his bedroom, looking constantly at his phone.

**Steve:** Good 😊

Tony’s face began to hurt from smiling so much, but he couldn’t help himself. He took his time walking back to his bedroom, thinking about Steve all along the way. As soon as he opened the door, he took his time visually soaking in the remnants of his time with Steve embodied in how messy his bed looked before they left. Tony kicked off his shoes, stripping down to his briefs before sliding into the bed, wrapping himself in the sheets as he smelled the pillow Steve was lying on.

He then rolled over onto his back, smiling up at the ceiling, thinking about the way Steve felt on top of him. He looked at his phone before placing it on the bedside table. He returned to looking up at the ceiling, too excited to sleep. Tony then turned over onto his side to grab his phone.

**Tony: **Can’t sleep. Can’t stop thinking about you.

Tony waited for a second or so before Steve sent him a reply.

**Steve:** Same 😊

**Tony:** I don’t blame you. You are hot. 😉

**Steve:** You know what I meant. :p

**Tony:** Maybe. 😉 I’m going to try to get a few hours of sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.

**Steve:** Can’t wait.

Tony waited, looking at the message until he finally turned his phone off. He turned over onto his other side to face the pillow Steve was lying on, grabbed it, and held on it tightly before surrendering to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😉

_The following week…_

Tony waved his hands around theatrically. “Yada, yada, yada—bureaucratic nonsense—something like that.”

Both Steve and Tony were standing in the latter’s kitchen one evening after work, practicing their lines for the first promotional tour for the Synergy device. Tony was walking around the space, rifting on lines while Steve stood awkwardly in one place at the island, looking down anxiously at a piece of paper with some notes scribbled on it.

“Then,” Tony turned to Steve with a broad smile, “I’ll have you come out and give a little spiel about the device. Like the vibranium core and how it replicates material or whatever.”

Steve nodded, although he felt apprehensive. He looked downward at his notes once more, clearing his throat a few times.

“Our world is becoming more unmanageable…and uh…and destructive by the minute…,” Steve could feel his nerves getting the best of him and he was only practicing with Tony.

Tony settled next to him before rubbing his shoulder; he was still smiling at Steve.

Steve smiled back as best as he good, laughing a bit before continuing. “Uh…no longer can we rely on traditional methods to protect and sustain ourselves and our fellow people…this calls for alternative means…” He managed to vocalize.

Tony nodded with a grin, beckoning Steve to continue.

Steve cleared his throat again. “Synergy has the ability to replicate any material possible…due, uh, to its vibranium core,” Steve kept his eyes on his notes before looking up at Tony, “it’s not only stable, but efficient.”

Tony clapped his hands together. “That sounds great! Better coming from you than Fury or me, trust me. Because, you know, you got that ‘face’.” He joked.

Tony’s playful tone finally got Steve to ease up. He reached over to rub Tony’s arm who then used the opportunity to lean inward to wrap a hand around Steve’s waist.

“I mean, who could resist this face…” Tony whispered as he leaned even closer to kiss Steve.

Steve kissed Tony back as he let his hands travel up and down Tony’s backside. The movement of his hands caused Tony to moan quietly through the kiss, pushing his body more against his.

“Sir., Mr. Parker is set to arrive soon.” J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted.

Tony untangled himself from Steve. He chuckled, pointing to the ceiling as he exited the kitchen.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., you’re such a cockblock!” He quipped.

“Only for your benefit, Sir.” J.A.R.V.I.S. responded.

Steve laughed as he followed Tony out of the kitchen and into the foyer. He found Tony standing near the elevator, studying his watch. Tony grinned at him before he walked over to give Steve another kiss as the elevator chimed with an arrival.

As soon as the doors opened, Peter jumped out to greet Tony.

“How did you get up here?” Tony cheerfully greeted back.

“I took the elevator!” Peter shouted with glee, holding up his watch which was also rigged for the nine-year old to program the private express elevator with ease.

Tony squatted to mess up Peter’s hair who made small noises of protest.

“Guess who’s here…” Tony whispered to Peter.

Peter looked past Tony to see Steve standing nearby. Steve waved shyly, unsure if Peter would even care.

“Hi, Steve!” Peter shouted as he waved back before turning to Tony, “is Steve staying over tonight?”

“I would like to, but that depends if it’s okay with Tony…” Steve meekly added before Tony could respond.

Tony straightened up, walking around Peter to lean up against the elevator doors, crossing his arms.

“I don’t know…did you hit your quota for today?” Tony asked; his joking tone suggesting he wasn’t sure he would allow Steve to stay over.

Peter clapped his hands together before flinging his bag onto the ground to pull out a notebook.

“Yes! I learned five things.”

Tony motioned for Peter to follow him into the kitchen. The nine-year old ran after him as Tony walked briskly toward the island. Steve followed them, curious to know what this ‘quota’ was about.

“Okay, so you already know the deal, Parker. Five things. And today’s reward is letting Steve stay over tonight.” Tony pulled out a stool before settling, extracting a tiny notebook from his back pocket. He looked up at Steve with a smile before writing down that day’s date on a fresh page.

“Tell Steve about your task for today.”

Peter turned toward Steve, beaming. “Tony gives me a—” He then glanced quickly at Tony as soon as he forgot how to properly pronounce the word “quota”.

Tony kept his eyes on his notebook. “Quota.” He carefully enunciated.

Peter’s facial expression turned determined as he took his time pronouncing the word the way Tony had.

“Tony gives me a _quota_ every day to learn a new thing. Today I had to learn five.”

Steve nodded with a smile, but he found himself unable to verbally contribute; he was too captivated by this brief interaction between Tony and Peter.

“And?” Tony added, looking at Peter as if he were another scientist at Stark Industries.

“…if more than half the things I’ve learned today are things Tony doesn’t know, then he has to wear the mask of shame.”

Steve’s face twisted a bit as he laughed. “The ‘what’?”

Tony grinned at Steve. “The mask of shame, Rogers. Keep up.” He teased.

Suddenly, Peter broke out into a sprint toward his bedroom, nearly knocking into Steve. Steve watched him scurry away before looking over at Tony.

“He’s getting the mask of shame. He keeps it in his bedroom.” Tony explained.

Steve laughed. “This sounds like a serious game.”

Tony chuckled heartily. “Oh, you have _no _idea, Rogers.”

The two turned around as soon as youthful laughter drew near. Peter ran back into the kitchen with what looked like a pair of eyeglasses attached to a fake nose with a mustache. The glasses were also equipped with other items that had been glued to it like feathers, gems, and some other things Steve was unable to identify.

Tony rose from his stool to hoist Peter onto his lap without missing a beat. The mask nearly slapped him in the face.

Peter tried to put the mask onto Tony’s face. “Steve!” Peter squealed, “do you like this mask?”

Steve nodded as he laughed. Tony was also laughing as he pretended to struggle with Peter bouncing around.

“Not, yet, I haven’t lost yet.” He managed to gently hold off Peter and his efforts to get him to wear the mask before the game began.

Peter giggled as he hoped off Tony’s lap to pick up his notebook that had ended up on the kitchen floor. He vigorously flipped through a few pages until he found what he was looking for.

“Do you know the name of the first computer?” Peter looked up at Tony intently.

Tony had turned his body around to face Peter. He had one arm on the island countertop. “Good start, Parker…hmmm…” he began, “…I’m going to go with the IBM 360.”

Peter let out a whiny noise before continuing, and Steve had to prevent himself from grinning so hard.

“Do you know where they made the first robot?” Peter read carefully before looking up at Tony again.

Tony squinted before answering. “That I actually don’t know.”

“Japan!” Peter responded joyfully.

Tony slapped the edge of the countertop as he pretended to be upset that the score was now even. He pointed at Steve.

“Rogers, keep score. I can already feel this getting heated.” He joked.

Steve nodded with a smile as he held up both hands to keep score with his fingers.

Peter sat up straight on the floor as he continued. “Do you know the name of the first person on the moon?”

Tony chuckled as he posed thoughtfully. “Easy. Neil Armstrong.”

Peter made another whiny noise as he glanced upward at Steve. Steve made a sad face as he recorded the score with his fingers.

Peter flipped through his notebook with purpose as it became clear that he was trying to find something difficult for Tony to answer.

“Do you know when they launched Sputnik?” Peter asked, mispronouncing the name of the famed Russian satellite.

Tony clenched his jaw as he leaned forward. “Oh wow…the year?”

Peter nodded quickly. Tony’s face twisted with confusion as he looked at Steve before looking back at Peter.

“Uh, oh wow…uh…1958?” Tony attempted.

Peter giggled. “No! 1957!”

Tony squinted his eyes again as he kept up the charade. “Yes, of course. Absolutely no mercy, whatsoever.” He then clenched a fist in faux rage.

Peter kept giggling as he looked up Steve with a huge smile, and Steve laughed loudly at Tony’s expense.

Tony held up his hands. “Okay, okay. It’s 2-2. What else you got?”

Peter inhaled deeply which caused both Steve and Tony to laugh.

“How many planets are in the solar system?” Peter looked at Tony as he carefully finished his question.

Tony leaned back on the stool. He posed thoughtfully again as he stared Peter down. Peter managed to keep a straight face as Tony took his time answering.

“How many planets are in the solar system…,” Tony repeated as he looked over at Steve. He winked before looking back at Peter, “…nine.”

Peter jumped up with glee. “Nope! There are only eight!” He corrected with delight.

Tony let out a pretend groan as he slapped the countertop once more with a closed fist but not too hard. Steve laughed as he clapped for Peter who ran toward Tony with the mask.

“Of course! They demoted Pluto a while back.” Tony explained out loud as he let Peter put the mask on his face.

Peter giggled as he struggled to put the mask on Tony right side up. Tony took over and donned the mask himself, making a face at Steve who was still laughing uncontrollably from the scene.

“Another loss. When did you get so smart?” Tony hugged Peter as the latter bounced around in his lap.

“How long do you have to wear the mask?” Steve asked as his laughter subsided.

Peter clapped his hands. “Until bedtime.” He smiled up at Tony who was still making faces with the mask on.

“Alas, until bedtime…” Tony concurred.

Steve smiled as he watched Tony and Peter then debate each other over what they should have for dinner even though Tony had already planned out their meal. The three of them regrouped to settle down for dinner; Peter talk about his day as Steve and Tony found little moments during each break to discuss the press event.

After eating, Tony, still wearing the mask, announced that it was time for Peter to work on his homework before going to bed. Peter had asked Steve to assist Tony in helping the nine-year old with his homework, although it was clear that Tony was playing along. Finally, it was time for Peter to get ready for bed which allowed Tony to finally take the mask off.

“Goodnight, Steve!” Peter nearly jumped on Steve as he gave him a hug before running into his bathroom to get ready.

“Night, Peter.” Steve called after, feeling warm inside that he was getting along with Peter.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Steve was lying in Tony’s bed underneath the covers in his briefs, watching Tony as he emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his shoulders after taking a shower. While Steve felt more comfortable around Tony considering the current state of their relationship, he still felt anxious; although he had admitted to Tony that he was sexually inexperienced, he was afraid that said lack of experience would be more hindering than he had anticipated.

“You and Peter are great together, Tony.” Steve offered, yet his expression was timid.

Tony used the towel on his shoulders to run through his hair a few times before throwing it back toward the bathroom door.

“Well thanks, Rogers.” He paused for a second as he walked to sit on the edge of the bed on Steve’s side.

“It’s a little awkward trying to see someone when you have a kid to worry about…”

Steve nodded as he waited; it sounded as if Tony wasn’t finish with his thought. Tony sighed before scooting closer toward Steve. He rubbed Steve’s leg before placing one hand on the other side of his body.

“…Peter’s going to have to be my top priority, no matter what…” Tony smiled, but his expression was equally stern.

Steve nodded again before reaching out a hand to place on top of Tony’s hand next to his body.

“Tony, I understand…” He moved his hand up the length of Tony’s arm, “honestly, I don’t think I would be lying in your bed right now if I thought you weren’t a good parent…” He smiled back at Tony, noticing that the other appeared uneasy.

Tony continued to smile at Steve as Steve continued to rub his arm. They looked at each in silence for a moment before another word was spoken.

“Maybe this weekend, the three of us could do something together?” Steve asked.

Tony nodded slowly. “Sure, Rogers,” but then he groaned loudly as he slapped a hand to his forehead.

“I forgot; I’m having dinner with Pepper this weekend…” To Steve, Tony looked apprehensive again, “…but we can do something during the day, and I suppose I’ll see you after dinner.” He concluded with a grin.

“Also,” Steve started, “if you want, considering you need someone to babysit…I can watch Peter for you when you’re out with Pepper…” He tried to look cool about it, but he was sure his expression exposed how awkward he was beginning to feel about volunteering.

Tony looked confused as he answered. “Steve, you don’t have to do that…” He let Steve continue rubbing his arm.

Steve turned his head a bit. “Tony, I know that. I want to help out and I would like to get to know Peter better…but if you don’t want me to—”

Tony waved Steve off as he laughed to himself before answering. “Steve, that’s really nice of you…” he then moved a hand to rub Steve’s hand on his arm.

“…I know we just started seeing each other,” Tony started; he looked downward before looking up at Steve, “…and I know we sort of already talked about this...but how are you so cool about me having dinner with an ex? I would be freaking out right now.” Steve could tell that Tony was only teasing, but something about the question seemed odd.

Steve took his time answering. “I know that I don’t have experience when it comes to relationships…but why would I be weird about you seeing Pepper when you see me almost every night?” His expression softened, just enough to ease Tony.

Tony nodded slightly. “I guess…that’s true…maybe I could learn a thing or two from you, Rogers.”

Steve shuffled around as Tony made a move to join him on the opposite side of the bed by practically climbing over him. As he felt Tony settle next to him, Steve let out an uncomfortable-sounding sigh.

“Tony…” Steve was wringing his hands on top of his stomach.

Tony glanced downward at him before sinking lower into the bed. “What’s up?”

Steve sighed once more. “…I have to be honest with you…” he inhaled deeply, “…I’ve only been with two people...” He quietly admitted.

Tony chuckled as he turned to face Steve, reaching out a hand to caress his face.

“Is this including me or that ‘guy in college’?” He teased.

Steve let Tony pull him toward his body; he tried to smile back but was now too embarrassed.

“I guess I’ve been with three people…” He clarified.

“Steve, I don’t think I made this clear before,” Steve felt Tony move the hand behind his ear down to rub his waist, “but I don’t care. And honestly, you don’t seem that awkward…well with me anyway.”

Steve nodded. The two were facing each other on their sides. “…during my last relationship…I don’t know…we really didn’t do much…

Steve shuffled a bit as he looked away from Tony to look upward at the ceiling. “I always felt awkward…it felt like I wasn’t…doing it right…”

“Well, if it’ll make you feel any better. I’ve been in quite a few relationships and as you can see, none of them worked out.” He teased again as he kept his hand on Steve’s waist, now rubbing more firmly.

Steve laughed quietly. He turned to place a hand on Tony’s shoulder, looking downward before looking up.

“I feel like I could never get comfortable…maybe it was because we couldn’t see each other as much.”

Tony moved his hand on Steve’s waist to caress his face. Steve sighed. “I feel comfortable with you, though, Tony…”

Tony smiled, but then his expression hardened as he turned onto his back to face the ceiling.

“I should probably keep this to myself considering that we _just_ started seeing each other…” Tony croaked out, rolling his eyes in the process. Steve nodded; he was close enough to Tony’s neck so that the latter could feel him.

“…I’m trying not to make you run off too quickly, like give it a few months at least.” Steve laughed quietly indicating that he knew Tony was only kidding.

“…but the first person I was ever with…our families were close. It was really fucked up though because he’s an asshole and we never said anything nice to each other…”

Steve patiently waited for Tony to continue.

“…I used to mess around with this guy in my twenties and early thirties, but stopped it long before I started dating Pepper, actually…” Tony turned to face Steve, “I feel like I really made a change after I started seeing her…”

Steve nodded again. He reached out a hand to caress Tony’s cheek.

“…I really was a mess after she left…” Tony sighed again, “…which is why I’m trying my best to do things differently now…so I guess this is a long way of me saying that you don’t really have anything to worry about when it comes to past relationships, Steve. No one’s _really_ doing it right and it’s _always_ awkward.”

Steve nodded to indicate that he understood where Tony was coming from; he could feel the energy between them becoming serious. Tony shuffled so that he was now on his side, facing Steve more directly, this time with a smile that seemed so abrupt from the previous tone.

“Besides…there might be something that you thought you enjoyed that you probably aren’t into anymore…” Tony took a deep breath before continuing. He reached out a hand to rub Steve’s waist, pulling him close, slipping a thumb underneath the band of his briefs.

“…but there might be something you never thought you would do that we could enjoy doing together…”

Steve made a small cute-sounding noise as he let Tony pull him even closer for a kiss. Steve relaxed as he kissed Tony back, taking the opportunity to feel Tony’s chest, lingering a bit to rub his nipples, before moving his hands to his backside, sliding his hands under the fabric of Tony’s underwear to touch his skin.

Tony repositioned his body to lie halfway on top of Steve, pushing downward slightly to rub up against his leg. They remained like this: Steve moving his hands up along Tony’s body and Tony using one hand to cradle the back of Steve’s head while the other was rubbing against the inside of his hip. Steve bucked upward into Tony as he scooted up the bed, drawing his legs up against Tony’s sides as he placed his hands on Tony’s face.

Steve backed away somewhat to clear his throat. The more Tony kept rubbing his hip, the more he wanted to feel up against Tony’s body, rubbing himself as he let himself get caught up in the moment.

“You know…” He started, turning back to kiss Tony, “I still need to pay you back for…the time…in the car...” he finished quietly.

Tony sat up bit before answering. “The time in car—,” his eyes widened as it became clear that he had realized what Steve was referring to.

Tony’s smile spread across his face even more as he took the opportunity to move his hand closer toward Steve’s crotch, stopping short to rub the inside of his leg.

“Are you telling me you want to suck my cock, Rogers?” He asked through a smirk.

Steve’s face flushed; he turned his head away, but nodded.

Tony kept grinning as squiggled on top of Steve. “I’ll only let you do it if you say it.”

“Uh, w-what?” Was all Steve managed to get out.

Tony squirmed as he laughed. “Ask me to suck my cock.”

Steve, now incredibly pink, looked away from Tony as the other caressed his face.

“Here I’ll help you and even put a polite spin on it,” Tony leaned downward to whisper in Steve’s ear, “Tony, may I suck on your cock?”

Steve made a small noise before clearing his throat again.

“Tony…”

“Good start.” Tony added.

Steve looked past Tony as he took a deep breath. He then looked directly at him, drumming up the courage to sound as sexy as possible.

“…may I suck on your cock?” Steve let out without wavering.

“Steve, you can do whatever the _fuck_ you want to me.” Tony responded as he pushed downward into Steve, grinding against his body. Tony took a moment to effortlessly remove his briefs before grinding on Steve again.

Steve moaned, using one hand to rub Tony’s backside. He let Tony grind up against him for a while before turning him over onto his back.

Steve, as he continued to kiss Tony, ran a hand down the length of his body, stopping short before he reached Tony’s cock. Steve buried his face into Tony’s neck as he began to feel around, taking his time before rubbing and squeezing Tony as he held on to him with his other hand.

“Shit, Steve…” Tony swore as he pushed upward into Steve’s hand.

Steve nestled his nose even more into Tony’s neck as he tightened his grip around Tony’s cock. He was trying to give himself a moment before he went any further.

“Tony?” Steve finally asked as he continued to rub.

Tony shifted his body as he rubbed the arm Steve was using to stroke him. “Yeah?”

Steve stopped touching Tony as he propped himself up. He sighed, removing his hand on Tony to rub through his hair.

“I’ve never…you know…ugh…” Steve sighed again. For some reason, all that confidence built up from before dissipated as he began to psyche himself out.

Tony shifted again to look at Steve. He grinned at him, but just enough for Steve to relax a little.

“Did you like what I did to you in the car?” Tony asked quietly as he kept rubbing Steve’s arm.

Steve slowly turned to face Tony directly, nodding a couple times.

Tony smiled. “Well, I was only doing to you what I would like done to me…” he looked downward at himself before looking back at Steve.

He then bit the bottom half of his lip. “Why don’t you do that? What you like…” He offered softly.

Steve nodded wordlessly again as he swallowed a lump in his throat. He thought about the way Tony had been with him in the car, feeling him and taking his time. He appreciated that Tony was so patient with him, which eased him even more as he looked back at Tony, giving him a kiss before climbing on top of him.

Steve watched Tony close his eyes; he felt Tony push upward into his body, slowly rolling his hips with anticipation. Steve caressed the sides of Tony’s body with both hands before scooting downward, lying down on the bed as he finally reached Tony’s cock again.

He propped himself up with an elbow as he looked back at Tony who had his eyes closed, still rocking his hips upward. Steve’s eyes travel down Tony’s body; he was completely mesmerized. He took his time, telling himself to take it easy, before wrapping a hand around the base of Tony’s cock again, squeezing gently. He used his other hand to rub Tony’s hip as he situated himself into a more comfortable position.

He looked upward at Tony again before inching closer toward his cock, rubbing as tenderly as possible, which seemed to feel great to Tony who started moaning. Steve swallowed a lump in his throat before he closed his eyes, opening his mouth slowly, letting his tongue touch the tip of Tony. He pressed his body downward into the bed as he took more of Tony in, pleasantly surprised with how nice he felt in his mouth.

Tony bucked upward into his mouth as Steve continued to move his head downward. As he took in Tony’s lingering scent from his shower, Steve remembered the way Tony used his hand on him, mimicking the movements he thought felt the best. He glanced upward at Tony who was now looking back at him with his eyes halfway closed, biting his bottom lip.

Steve closed his eyes, now more enraptured with seeing Tony enjoying himself. He kept moving his hand as he licked up and down Tony. He took his time, taking in more of Tony’s scent and how great he felt, letting out a few gasps and moans himself as he worked.

“Oh my god, baby…this feels so good…” Tony gasped out.

Steve smiled to himself as best as he could considering that he still had Tony in his mouth. He felt a hand run through his hair, prompting him to move his free hand up Tony’s front, feeling his abdomen. Tony pushed upward into his mouth, but Steve could tell that he was trying to restrain himself. Tony’s body felt tense, but Steve tried to convey that he was fine by glancing upward at Tony as much as possible, continuing to feel his body.

Tony keep rocking upward as Steve could feel himself getting hard from sucking on Tony. He pressed his body further downward in the bed, rubbing himself as he kept squeezing and licking. Tony kept one hand in his hair as the other met Steve’s hand on his body, caressing it as he pushed his hips forward.

Steve could feel Tony nearing the verge; his body began to jerk the way it did the last time they were intimate. Steve moaned softly, completely caught up in the moment.

“Oh my god, Steve…I think I’m close…” Tony murmured, pulling the hand Steve hand on his body tight with each gasp.

Steve nodded again as he felt himself getting close from just rubbing up against the bed. He reached downward to touch himself, moving a hand past the band of his briefs, all the while still sucking on Tony, almost forgetting which movement to use as he felt his own body giving in.

Tony held onto him as his body convulsed. Steve moaned as he felt Tony release into his mouth. He tried to swallow, but it ended up being too much for him and he was now focused on jerking himself off. He heard Tony chuckle as he kept a hand in his hair.

“Keep going, baby.” Tony whispered with a smile, referring to Steve touching himself.

Steve nodded as he struggled to wipe his mouth before lying on top of Tony as he kept feeling himself. He felt Tony rubbing his back, pushing upward into his body, before pulling his briefs down. Steve let go of himself to pushed back, moaning as he felt Tony’s leg now up against his exposed cock.

Tony kissed him as he continued to rub; his mind locked on the feeling of Tony in his mouth. Steve felt his body giving in as he gasped once more, groaning as his body speed up its pace. He groaned again as he finally let go, staying on top of Tony, panting somewhat before sliding to lie on his side. He felt Tony run a hand through his hair.

“That was so fucking hot…” Tony breathed out.

Steve smiled to himself as he buried his head in Tony’s chest. “Good, but…I’m sorry about the mess…”

Tony chuckled, looking down at himself, pulling Steve closer toward his body. He took his time rubbing Steve before answering.

“Well, you can make a mess all over me whenever you want, baby.” Steve felt him kiss the top of his head.

He smiled again as he hugged Tony back. “Should…should I clean this up?” He asked meekly.

Tony chuckled again. “Let me hold you a bit longer then we can clean up before going to bed…” He whispered.

Steve nodded again, unable to stop himself from smiling even wider. He let Tony hold onto him for a while, almost falling asleep. Not too long after, they eventually untangled themselves to change the sheets before calling it a night.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Omg, over 100 kudos! And over 200 hits since the last update! You all are making my day. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. 
> 
> —ladyslice

_Early next week…_

After much delay, the first event of the Synergy promotional tour had arrived the following week. For the first event, Steve and Tony were due to give a debut presentation at a design expo at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Pier 86. Steve had trouble falling asleep the night before, and now, as he prepped with Tony in a room reserved for them backstage, Steve could feel himself hanging on the brink of his nerves possibly crippling his performance. However, as he ran through his lines repeatedly, Steve was ultimately thankful that he could do the presentation with Tony; they had figured out a good back and forth and a solid narrative that Steve was more or less comfortable with.

Tony had been more than supportive as they readied themselves before making their way to the space connecting the backstage to the main stage which was facing a huge crowd of people waiting to hear about the device. Steve had never seen anything like it; he had never attended a design expo, let alone one on this magnitude. It was both simultaneously thrilling and jarring.

Both Steve and Tony waited behind the wings of the stage; Tony was chatting with a couple backstage employees, while Steve stood silently, looking around awkwardly as the backstage people whirled around him trying to ensure that the projections of the device worked properly.

Tony walked over to Steve after finishing his conversation. He placed a hand on his arm, squeezing it gently.

“You’re going to do great.” He whispered, smiling.

Steve smiled back, but he was sure he looked edgy. Tony grinned toward the direction of the crowd outside, which was growing restless with anticipation. One of the backstage managers walked up to Tony and Steve, motioning with her hands that the presentation was ready to begin.

Tony nodded at her as he straightened himself out. “Okay, showtime.” He winked at Steve before jogging out onto the stage to an uproarious round of applause.

As low vibrations from background music emanated from around the stage, Tony did a little shimmy as he waited for the applause to die down, which showed no signs of ceasing considering how psyched the audience appeared. As Tony waited, smiling like he usually did during such events, the word “Synergy” flashed in giant letters behind him as a presentation similar to the one Fury had given the team their orientation day began to play.

“Stark Industries,” Tony started, but was immediately interrupted by more cheering and clapping. Images of various types of catastrophes slid around the walls of the auditorium.

Tony waited a bit as he continued to grin, motioning with his hands to get the crowd to calm down.

“…has created its newest tech, the Synergy device.” Tony then motioned behind himself as a holographic image of the device appeared above the stage. He walked around it as he continued to speak, and the device spun around and pulled apart in unison.

“Ever wonder why it takes so damn long for anything to get done around here?” Tony asked rhetorically as the audience kept cheering.

“Bureaucratic nonsense.” Tony walked through the holographic image as the device pulled apart to reveal the vibranium core.

“No longer will the average citizen have to wait to see change. We can do all that with the Synergy device.” Tony pointed behind himself again as the pieces of the device continued to swirl around the auditorium. Steve immediately clammed up as soon as he realized he was about to go on.

“Would you like to meet one of Synergy’s finest?” Tony clapped his hands once as he addressed the crowd. Everyone cheered and clapped again as Tony motioned for Steve to join him.

Steve glanced at the backstage manager who only shooed him onto the stage. Steve slowly took his time walking out; he waved nervously, squinting from how bright the auditorium looked.

Tony waited for him before waving at him to say his lines. “Steve Rogers, everyone!”

Steve cleared his throat, which was picked up by the mic pinned to his shirt. “…our world is becoming more unmanageable…and destructive…by the minute…”

The crowd started cheering louder as Steve shuffled a couple feet to stand next to Tony who had a perpetual grin on his face. Steve coughed, which was once again picked up by the mic. He grimaced, becoming hyper aware that everyone could hear every single noise he uttered.

“…no longer can we…rely on traditional methods to protect…and, uh, sustain ourselves and our fellow people. This, um…calls for alternate—alternative, uh, means…” He concluded, stumbling through the entire sentence.

However, the crowd cheered even louder as soon as he finished his first set of lines. Steve was amazed that no one seemed to care that he looked and sounded incredibly nervous.

Tony clapped his hands as he motioned for Steve to avoid an incoming projection of the Synergy device so it could display its vibranium core once more. Steve nearly hopped out of the away, realizing that he almost missed his cue. As he turned somewhat to face the crowd, the holographic image of the device began generating specs for various items to be replicated.

“Uh, Synergy has the ability to reprimand—replicate! Ugh, sorry…any material possible due to its vibranium core.” Steve managed to add as he watched the hologram simulate creating items.

The various items disappeared as Tony sauntered to the center of the stage. “Be on the lookout for the device in the future. I can truly guarantee that Synergy will not _only_ save lives but will also make this world a better place.” He ended with a charming smile.

Almost every single person gestured enthusiastically as they cheered loudly for both Steve and Tony. Tony walked over to Steve, placing a hand on the small of his back as he waved at the crowd.

“Wave back, baby.” Tony whispered to Steve, managing to do so without his mic picking up his voice.

Steve blushed before he finally waved back awkwardly. They waited a bit before the backstage manager motioned for them to exit the stage. Steve and Tony hustled off as the lights in the auditorium dimmed. A film reel began to play, showing the Synergy team’s work with the device up until that point.

“That wasn’t too bad, wasn’t it?” Tony grinned at Steve.

Steve laughed quietly; the debut presentation turned out to be less terrible than he had expected, and he could finally feel a sense of relief mixed with self-gratification after having put himself in unfamiliar territory.

“Yeah,” Steve looked downward before looking directly at Tony, “I suppose you’re right.”

“Nice work!” Rhodey had appeared behind some of the backstage employees. He walked up to Tony first to pat him on the shoulder before shaking Steve’s hand.

Tony smiled has he reached over to half hug Steve. “Rogers is definitely holding this whole thing together.”

Steve smiled timidly as he waved Tony off, letting himself be pulled closer. “Thanks for the credit, but that was definitely teamwork.”

Tony chuckled as Rhodey looked back and forth between them, making it obvious that Steve and Tony’s shameless flirting was too saccharine for him to handle.

Rhodey motioned for them to follow him as he rolled his eyes. “Come on, you two. You’re going to make my head explode.”

Tony laughed again as he pulled Steve along with him. As the three went through the backstage, they found Happy standing at the end of the hallway, holding off a hoard of press agents.

“Great presentation!” Happy shouted as he looked back at Tony, Steve, and Rhodey, holding his arms out against some very passionate reporters.

Tony scoffed. “Eh, thanks, Hogan, but I’ve done better.” He then signaled to Steve to prepare himself to be bombarded by eager press agents too impatient to wait for their sit down in the other room.

“First this swarm and then the next at a sit down. You think you handle it, Rogers?” Tony teased.

Steve grinned back before a reporter almost dodged past Happy, holding out a tape recorder over his shoulder.

“How long does it take to generate the material?”

Happy managed to hold the reporter at a distance as the group walked down the hallway.

Tony waved a hand around “Not too long. But if I had to give you a concrete answer, it depends on what’s being replicated.” He answered with ease.

Steve knew the answer, but only nodded as he let Tony respond; he was still too nervous about answering questions, afraid he would say the wrong thing and/or look ridiculous doing so.

Another reporter managed to wedge herself past Happy’s waist, awkwardly holding up her tape recorder but with fortitude.

“Any possible contracts? Maybe the military?”

Tony shook his head with a coy expression. “You know we can’t talk about that. Government secrets or whatever.” He turned to a degree to grin at Rhodey who only rolled his eyes.

Prompted by Tony’s magnetism, the press agents surrounding them began laughing at the harmless comment. Steve walked as close to Tony as possible, feeling weird about receiving so much attention. They answered a few more questions until Happy managed to get them into a room with more press agents.

“You got your answers ready?” Rhodey asked both Steve and Tony with a smile.

Tony reached over to pat Steve on the back as they proceeded to walk to the front of the room. “Yep, I think we’re good to go.”

Steve turned to face Tony before sitting down at a table in front of the press. “Hey,” Tony began in a low whisper, “you _did_ do great, especially for it being your first time, Rogers. And it’ll only get better, I promise.” Tony offered as he patted Steve on the chest.

Steve nodded back, blushing now because of how confident Tony seemed to be in him. “Thanks, Tony. I really appreciate that.”

The group then sat down before answering a slew of questions.

* * *

_Over week later…_

“I don’t know, Parker. Seems like a long shot.”

Both Tony and Peter were lying on their backs underneath a medium-sized robot in Tony and Steve’s lab one mid-morning on a Saturday. Steve was on the other side of the lab, watching them work. He had an enormous grin on his face; he could feel himself becoming more comfortable with spending so much time with Tony and Peter, and he enjoyed watching them interact with each other.

“Run the sequence!” Peter shouted, attempting to address J.A.R.V.I.S.

Tony chuckled. “J.A.R.V.I.S., run the sequence, _please_.” He gently corrected as he whispered to Peter.

Peter giggled before his face grew serious. “J.A.R.V.I.S., run the sequence, please!” He shouted.

“Right away, Mr. Parker.” J.A.R.V.I.S. answered as the computer took half a millisecond to complete the request.

The computer then projected the numbers above a console. Steve walked over to look at the numbers, although he wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking at.

Tony and Peter scooted out from underneath the robot to join Steve at the console. Both hummed and posed thoughtfully as they studied the numbers.

“Okay, maybe you were a little, right.” Tony teased as he looked downward at Peter who was smiling back up at him.

Tony used a finger to scroll through the sequences before he landed on one to show to Peter. He hoisted the nine-year old up in the air to get a better look at the projection. Steve smiled as he quietly observed.

“I think we’ll go with this set. What do you think, Parker?” Tony placed Peter back down on the ground next to him before straightening up to look at the numbers.

“I like the one above!” Peter exclaimed, “what do you think, Steve?”

Steve winced; he hadn’t expected Tony and Peter to involve him in their project. He also wasn’t sure how he would be able to contribute.

“Well…,” Steve started as he studied the sequences before looking over at Tony who was grinning at him, “I’m not entirely sure, but I think the sequence you chose Peter probably works best.”

Peter giggled with delight as he ran back toward the robot.

“That’s not fair,” Tony teased, “Steve’s always on your side, Parker.”

“That’s because Steve likes me better.” Peter joked as he motioned for Tony to resume their positions underneath the robot.

“Yeah, I’m beginning to think that’s more likely the case.” Tony joked back, walking over to kiss Steve before repositioning himself underneath the robot with Peter again.

The two shuffled around, waiting for the sequence to run its course. Steve hung back again, watching them work.

“Hey, Rogers, did I tell you that Shuri’s starting here soon?” Tony called as he and Peter went back to working on the robot after the sequence concluded.

Steve nodded with a laugh. “You did, multiple times in fact.”

Tony laughed. “Okay, sorry, Cap. Get use to me repeating myself.”

“He does it a lot!” Peter happily chimed in.

Steve chuckled as he crossed his arms. “Sam’s also been bragging about it, so you’re not alone.”

Tony scooted out from underneath the robot to walk to a table to retrieve some tools. He turned slightly to leer at Steve before choosing the instrument he needed.

“I’m impressed that she managed to comprehend some of my dad’s more esoteric notes. I’ve been pouring over those for a year now.”

Steve uncrossed his arms he watched Tony reposition himself underneath the robot with Peter. “You’re probably one of the smartest people I know, Tony, but sometimes it does help having another pair of eyes.”

Steve heard Tony chuckle with Peter. “Just _one _of the smartest?” Tony quipped which prompted a hearty laugh from Steve.

Tony banged on the robot a few times. “Okay, how about this?”

“J.A.R.V.I.S., run the sequence, please!” Peter shouted once more at the computer.

“Right away, Mr. Parker.” J.A.R.V.I.S. repeated.

Peter and Tony army crawled out from underneath the robot before running to the console to watch the sequence again. As soon as the computer finished with the numbers, both Tony and Peter hi-fived each other before running back over toward the robot. Tony pulled out a device from his back pocket, handing it to Peter. Peter accepted it before tapping on the gadget a few times. After a second or two, the robot began to flicker with a hodgepodge of colors before rising from its restraints.

“Good work, Parker. I think this is your best work yet.” Tony half-hugged an excited Peter.

The robot dipped upward then downward before rolling toward Tony and Peter. It shifted from side to side before stopping suddenly. Peter tapped once more on the device he was holding, which caused the robot to spin around a few times before ramming backward into the table behind it. Steve, quite horrified, ran up to Tony and Peter to instantly protect anyone from a stray robot, however Peter and Tony appeared unfazed by their creation’s behavior; both were laughing with glee.

“I don’t see what’s so funny, you two.” Steve huffed as he looked back and forth between Tony and Peter with his arms crossed.

Tony patted Steve on the shoulder. “This particular creation has been giving us trouble lately, but Peter managed to figure out how to get it to move. It’s science, Rogers!”

Steve expression indicated that he was not happy about the robot smashing into things, but then he felt Peter tugging on his trousers.

“It’s science, Rogers!” Peter repeated, complete with a wide smile.

Steve couldn’t help himself as he smiled back down at Peter. He shook his head a few times before wagging a finger at Tony.

“Okay, fine. But I’m sticking around for safety concerns.” He smiled at Tony who grabbed his hand to pull him inward for a hug. Steve let Tony hug him before the latter broke away to run toward the robot with Peter.

Steve chuckled as he turned to watch Tony and Peter sprint toward then duck underneath the robot.

“Okay, this time we’re going to make it grab something.” Peter said to Tony.

“Hey, safety manager,” Tony called over to Steve, “are we allowed to grab things with the robot?”

Steve laughed as he crossed his arms again. “That’s fine as long as it’s not one of you—or me.”

Both Peter and Tony laughed loudly in response to Steve. Steve settled against a table, watching them work with an amused grin on his face.

* * *

_Meanwhile at S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Headquarters…_

“Wait, stop right there.”

Natasha was standing over a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, looking through reels and reels of security footage from Stark Industries from the last few weeks. Standing behind her were Agents Hill and Coulson.

“See. Right there. There’s something off about the footage.” She pointed to an obvious speck on the screen.

Agent Hill walked up to the monitor to get a better look. She nodded before turning to face Agent Coulson.

“We need this rushed to get scrubbed.” She said curtly.

Agent Coulson nodded before tapping a few times on his earpiece. He exited the room as he began talking to another agent.

Agent Hill turned to address Natasha. “Did you find anything else?”

Natasha shrugged as she crossed her arms. “Barton only said that he might have seen another person in the lab next door. I’ll follow up on it after we clean the footage.”

Agent Hill nodded before exiting the room. Natasha turned to look at the footage again; her brow furrowed with resolution.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Tony and Steve were in the former’s bedroom after putting Peter to bed who was still way too excited about Steve staying over once again, although it was becoming a regular occurrence.

“You’re becoming quite the crowd favorite around here, Rogers.” Tony grinned as he climbed into bed next to Steve after taking his usual shower.

Steve laughed quietly as he watched Tony slide underneath the sheets. Tony couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the sight of Steve in his bed as he leaned over to kiss him, taking his time before readjusting himself.

“Didn’t know I was that popular.” Steve answered, but Tony could sense that he was genuinely surprised by the comment.

Tony chuckled as he turned over onto his side to reach out a hand to caress behind Steve’s ear. Steve eventually settled, letting Tony touch him.

“You’re _very_ popular. I’ve never seen Peter so excited to see someone before.” Tony added.

Steve blushed slightly from the attention. “Oh well, he’s easy to be around…,” he scooted closer toward Tony, “so are you…” he finished softly.

Tony couldn’t help his face from expressing how astounded he was with such a simple statement. He could feel Steve's sincerity which strangely felt reassuring. He continued to feel behind Steve’s ear, but then the dull pain in the middle of his chest reappeared.

Tony drew in a painful-sounding sigh before finally letting go of Steve to turn over onto his back. He sighed again as he looked upward at the ceiling.

The last couple weeks with Steve hanging around with him and Peter had been amazing; Tony had never felt this way toward someone who was also great with his kid. But unfortunately, as Tony mulled over his insecurities, it made him wish he had a better relationship with his father.

Although being with Steve had managed to stave off any recurring nightmare about the night his parents died, Tony was still worried that he would end up having a nightmare soon while sleeping with Steve. Tony dreaded the thought; although Steve seemed willing to take him as he was and he did tell him some personal things about his dad, although not all of it, Tony was concerned that Steve would actually leave him if he knew everything.

_…and probably leave me for Bucky or whatever…_Tony worried to himself, groaning again.

“Tony, are you all right?” Tony heard Steve whispering.

Tony closed his eyes tight with another sigh before turning his head somewhat to face Steve who looked quite concerned.

Tony took his time before answering. “I was just…thinking about…my dad…” He admitted and a little surprised with himself that he had.

Steve nodded as he scooted even closer toward Tony. Tony turned his body some more as he swallowed a lump in his throat, anticipating the worst, but not entirely sure why.

“I’m here if you want to talk about it…” Steve let out quietly, however the hesitancy in his tone was evident.

Tony weighed the possibility; he felt like talking but he feared that he might have a panic attack. He rubbed his chest as he looked away from Steve, just waiting for the pain to appear out of nowhere.

“…just seeing…having you around…it makes me wish…I had the same thing…” Tony sighed to himself, feeling ready to give up.

“I understand, Tony…” Steve offered.

Tony could tell that Steve was waiting for him to continue, but he felt paralyzed. He knew he needed to be honest with Steve about everything which was becoming easier the more time they spent together, but he couldn’t bring himself to really discuss all of his issues associated with his dad. The memories were still too painful to bear.

“…did…I ever tell you about the last conversation I had with my mother before she died?” Steve added as Tony agonized over faded memories.

Tony swallowed again, remaining still. He waited once more before answering.

“…no…I don’t think so…” He responded quietly.

Steve inhaled deeply before continuing. He moved a hand to rub Tony’s chest.

“She always gave me really good advice…but that time she told me that I need to listen as much as possible…sometimes I struggle with that…” He admitted; his expression was stern, but he was trying to smile.

Tony laughed quietly as he sensed that Steve was trying to ease the conversation as much as possible. He took a hold of Steve’s hand on his chest.

Steve sighed. “I’m trying to do that more, and I want you to be able to talk to me. I…can tell it’s difficult…and believe me, it took me a while to open up…especially after I left the military…”

Tony nodded as he listened, feeling his body ease a bit. However, it was still too difficult to talk about his relationship with his dad. Tony mentally cycled through his memories of his dad, eventually landing on the last time they spoke to one another: the evening both his parents died.

Tony let out an excruciating groan, which caused Steve to hold him close to his chest. Tony sighed again before reaching out an arm to half hug Steve.

After a moment or two of thinking about the night his parents died, Tony moved his hand away from Steve to rub his forehead. He counted to himself before inhaling then exhaling.

“…the last time I saw my parents, I got into a huge fight with my dad…” Tony breathed out; he could feel Steve nodding against his neck.

Tony inhaled once more. “…I really wish I could take back what I said, but then I think about everything else…”

Tony could sense that Steve was waiting to respond. “That’s understandable, Tony. It’s normal to regret something like that especially when it’s connected to a traumatic event…” Steve finally contributed.

Tony nodded as he continued to rub his forehead; he could feel his chest constricting with pain.

“…uh, is it okay if…we don’t talk about this the rest of the night?” Tony whispered through his agony, attempting to sound breezy, but of course he sounded more hurt than anything else.

He felt Steve nod his head once more before pulling him close again. Tony let Steve hug him as they laid in silence.

“Uh,” Tony started, clearing his throat a little, “I’ll need to schedule a meeting with the executive committee to officially tell them about…well…you know…you and me…”

Steve nodded again. “Right, of course. Do I need to do anything?”

Tony untangled himself from Steve to turn and face him directly. Steve was smiling, albeit his expression was reserved.

Tony reached out a hand to caress Steve’s face. “Nope. I got it.” He answered with his own weary smile.

“…everyone’s _so_ busy that I probably won’t get a chance to sit them down until another week or so…I mean Pepper already knows we’re seeing each other. Wouldn’t be surprised if Fury and Obie are already aware. Just gotta be transparent or whatever.” This time Tony managed to make his statement sound like a joke toward the end which prompted a smile from Steve.

Steve’s face remained soft as he scooted closer toward Tony to give him a kiss. Tony kissed him back, but then pulled away to turn onto his back again. He definitely felt the pain in his chest now, but something about Steve’s calming energy managed to fend off a full-on attack.

“Sorry, I’m really tired…” Tony tried.

Steve reached out to give him a hug. “Let’s get some sleep.” He whispered.

Tony let out a ragged sigh before shutting his eyes close, pleading he wouldn’t have another nightmare.

* * *

_About a day later…_

“Okay, okay. Not so hard! My hands are _very_ delicate.”

It was a late evening at Stark Industries and two security officers were hauling a squirming Loki to escort him out of the building. Obadiah was standing in the lobby, chatting with some other officers as the two carting Loki appeared from one of the employee elevators. As soon as Loki spotted Obadiah, he winked. Obadiah scoffed, crossing his arms, glaring at Loki as he passed with the guards.

Obadiah turned toward an officer. “Scour the lab and the surrounding areas. I don’t want this getting back to the board.”

The security officer nodded a few times before motioning for his subordinates to receive instructions. After a moment, Obadiah was left nearly alone in the lobby. He turned to watch the guards hand Loki off to some police officers who then shoved him into an unmarked police car. Obadiah grinned to himself before whipping out his phone to place a call.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😉

“Any of you heard of the Synergy device?”

The audience before Tony and Steve erupted with cheers as Tony walked around an incoming projection of the holographic image of the device while Steve took his usual position on stage. They had done this a few times, stopping in major cities in the United States before making a debut international tour in Berlin. Steve was finally becoming more comfortable with the presentation, so much so that their usual movements around each other along with their talking points were becoming second nature to him.

“Why does it take the government so damn long to get anything done around here?” Tony repeated his usual line as he stood behind the holographic image. Steve was standing at the edge of the stage half-facing the crowd.

“Bureaucratic nonsense.” Steve answered with his best stage confidence, which earned a flashy grin from Tony.

After giving the presentation a few times over the past couple weeks, Steve and Tony had figured out a narrative that had a solid structure but could be easily rifted upon. And Steve, quite surprised with how comfortable he was beginning to feel, found himself improvising more than usual.

Steve waited to say his lines as images depicting scenarios the device could be used in projected onto screen behind them.

“Our world is becoming more unmanageable and destructive by the minute. No longer can we rely on traditional methods to protect and sustain ourselves and our fellow people. This calls for alternative methods.”

As the last scenario took place, Steve walked to the center of the stage. The crowd continued to clap and cheer, the loudest an audience had ever been for one of these promotional presentations.

“Synergy has the ability to replicate any material possible due to its vibranium core.” Steve ended with a wink and nod at the crowd which earned him even more adoration.

Tony crossed his arms, waiting behind Steve before joining him closer to the center.

“Be on the lookout for the device in the future. I can truly guarantee that Synergy will not only save lives but will also make this world a better place.”

As the presentation came to a logical conclusion once again, Steve wrapped an arm around Tony’s waist.

“Nice job.” He whispered to Tony, now able to do so without his mic picking up the feedback.

Tony’s already practiced PR grin grew even wider as he waved. “I might have to get a new partner, Rogers. You’re upstaging me.”

Steve laughed as they waved once more before exiting the stage. They were joined immediately by Bruce and Rhodey who then walked with them to a room filled with press agents. Rhodey motioned for everyone to take a seat. Steve pulled out a chair at the end of the table in front of the press pool, followed by Tony who was joined in the middle with Bruce. Rhodey sat down at the opposite end of the table.

“Okay, since this is our first international presentation, make sure your questions are top-notch.” Tony joked, addressing the press pool.

Some of the reporters laughed while some others began shouting over each other, trying to be the first to get a question in.

“One of your team members was assaulted not too long ago. Did that have anything to do with Synergy?” One reporter managed to shout over the rest.

Tony sat back in his chair. He looked at Steve before glancing over at Rhodey and Bruce, taking a moment to project an infectious smile.

“There’s an ongoing investigation, but that’s all I can say since this is connected to the government.” Tony answered.

However, the response hardly satisfied the reporter. “Of course. But can you _even _guarantee that Synergy is safe? There was that explosion in New York not too long ago as well.”

Everyone at the table looked at each other quickly, however, Tony kept smiling at the reporter.

“The original device theorized by Howard Stark had some hardware issues. Synergy 2.0, if you will, has been rebuilt learning from those mistakes. You won’t see something like that again.”

Steve looked unnervingly at Tony, which Tony immediately picked up on. He glanced at Steve before addressing the reporter again.

“What happened at the police precinct in New York won’t happen again. The device is more robust than ever.” Tony added with skillful confidence.

The response however caused the other reporters to shout their own follow-up questions. Rhodey had to prevent himself from glaring at Tony; Bruce was looking around anxiously; and Steve was doing his best to look content.

Steve believed in Tony’s capabilities and that the team should press forward with the project, but he was still struggling with keeping everyone safe. He had taken his conversation with Tony about a possible suspension of the project to heart, and now believed they needed to make the team’s safety a top priority. In addition, it was important to Steve to show that they were working as a cohesive unit, especially between himself and Tony.

Steve patted Tony on the back. “The newest iteration of Synergy is the best it’s ever been.”

The press pool grew quiet as soon as Steve finished his comment. Everyone else at the table also remained quiet. Tony turned slightly to look at Steve.

“I think everyone should trust what our team is capable of,” Steve glanced at Tony before looking directly at the pool, “I know I do.”

The press pool began clamoring for more answers as both Rhodey and Bruce fielded their own questions. Tony kept his eyes on Steve; his expression was soft, yet it was accompanied by an affected grin.

“You know, everyone’s going to give you shit for that…” Tony had leaned over to whisper to Steve.

Steve laughed to himself. “I don’t care. We’re a team.”

Tony’s expression remained the same, but this time Steve could tell that he was trying to control his emotions from appearing overly exposed. Tony then patted Steve on the back before returning to finish answering questions.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

After arriving back in New York from Berlin that evening, Steve, Tony, Bruce, and Rhodey met up with the rest of the Synergy team and some other Stark Industries employees at a nice restaurant and bar Tony had rented for a private gathering.

Clint was there to celebrate after a forced leave of absence due to his injuries and Fury was almost ready to let him return to his full tasks with Natasha. Bucky was in town to train for his new assignment; he and Sam had watched a live stream of the presentation in Berlin with the others at the restaurant as they waited for the rest to arrive.

Unfortunately, the mood at the party was a bit somber; after learning about Loki’s arrest, the team was now doubly anxious to protect the Synergy device. As a precaution, Fury had some of the team stay behind in case there was another incident.

Yet, despite all background noise, Tony could barely keep his hands off Steve. Almost everyone, if not everyone, knew they were seeing each other, even if Tony hadn’t had his formal meeting with the Synergy executive committee. Steve was becoming used to Tony’s mannerisms, but he was still shy about Tony being so comfortable with showing affection in public.

“You did a great job today, baby. Especially in that press pool.” Tony whispered to Steve, holding tight against his body.

Steve and Tony were standing near the bar counter alone while the rest of their party chatted in dispersed groups.

“Thanks, Tony.” Steve answered, now blushing uncontrollably, but Tony only winked at him.

“Hey, Tone!” Rhodey was standing next to some board members, waving for Tony to join him.

Tony patted Steve on the chest before walking over to the group. Steve smiled as he watched Tony walk away.

“Hey, Cap!” And almost instantaneously, Sam had appeared with Bucky in tow. Both were giving their friend the most annoying grins.

“Nice job today, Steve. I _almost_ believed that you were having a good time this time around.” Bucky teased as he settled next to Steve as Sam settled on his other side.

Steve laughed as the three of them clinked their glasses together. Sam and Bucky began to debate one another over which part of the presentation they like the most while Steve sipped out of his glass, still watching Tony.

Meanwhile, Tony was standing near Rhodey, but he was close enough to Bruce and Natasha who were standing not too far away by themselves.

“Uh, not too sure what your schedule is like, but…” Tony had heard Bruce begin, addressing Natasha; Tony was becoming mentally exhausted with how formal his friend was acting.

“…but would you like to grab a drink sometime? Like just me—_with_ me. Would you like to grab a drink with me?” Tony had heard Bruce finish. He had to prevent himself from turning around and shaking confidence into his friend.

“…I would love to, Bruce.” Natasha answered.

_About fucking time!_ Tony managed to contain much of his excitement for his friend to himself as he listened to Rhodey have an incredibly boring conversation with a board member who still didn’t understand Synergy's purpose.

“So, what happens if it doesn’t understand what needs to be replicated?” The board member asked as he scratched his head.

Rhodey chuckled, yet his tried tolerance for patience was palpable. “The device has access to a wide database of a near infinite number of items. The possibility is extremely rare. Right, Tone?”

“Uh, what?” Tony turned his body to face Rhodey after having been too caught up in snooping on Bruce and Natasha.

Rhodey laughed nervously as he patted Tony on the shoulder to get him to focus. “There’s a question about the near infinite number of items that the device can replicate.”

Tony nodded as he took a sip out of his glass. “Yep, that sounds about right. The Colonel here is probably a better rep than me for this thing.”

The board member looked back and forth between Rhodey and Tony before cracking a slight smile. He then began to laugh hysterically.

“Tony! Your sense of humor always kills me.” The board member continued as he forcibly slapped both Rhodey and Tony on the shoulders before walking away.

Rhodey turned to glare at Tony. “Speaking as your closest friend, you can’t keep pulling this shit, Tone.”

Tony snorted. “My closest? When did this happen?” He joked, but knew his friend was still annoyed about his press answer regarding the safety of Synergy.

“Rhodes, relax. This iteration of the device _is_ the best it will be at the moment,” Tony responded mid eye-roll, “I’d rather stay positive about the project than sow seeds of doubt.” He then looked around himself to indicate to Rhodey that he was referring to Obadiah who was in deep conversation with some board members and Fury.

Rhodey sighed before answering. “Fine, Tony. Just do what you need to do to keep everyone safe and the project running. Although, and it pains me to say this, I have no doubt you will.”

Tony smiled as he semi-hugged his friend. “Thanks for that bode of confidence, James.”

Rhodey rolled his eyes as Tony let go off him. He looked around the restaurant, spotting Steve making his way over.

“Nice job today, Steve.” Rhodey greeted Steve with a handshake, “you’re becoming a natural at this.”

Steve nodded with a smile, shaking Rhodey’s hand. “Thanks, Rhodey. I appreciate that.”

Rhodey chuckled as he patted Steve on the shoulder before leaving the circle. Tony watched Rhodey leave before turning to face Steve.

“I got into a bit of trouble with the iron patriot just now.” Tony whispered to Steve as he motioned with his glass to indicate Rhodey.

Steve turned to look behind himself before facing Tony. “Iron patriot?”

Tony laughed. “It’s the nickname I made up for Rhodes behind his back.”

Steve returned the laughter. “I hope not too much trouble.”

Tony shook his head. “No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” He rubbed Steve’s chest with a huge, seemingly calm grin.

Steve took a moment before grabbing Tony’s hand. He held onto it before giving it a gentle squeeze. Tony smiled slightly upward at Steve, letting the other hold his hand until he pulled away a bit to sip out of his glass.

“So,” Steve started, clearing his throat, “Sam just told me he’s planning on moving in with Shuri.” He offered causally.

Tony expressed confusion before answering. “I thought the three of you were moving in together?”

Steve smiled. “We were but I guess Sam and Shuri are getting pretty serious…”

Tony couldn’t help his heart from beating any louder; he dreaded what he was about to hear next.

“…so it’ll just be me and Bucky then. We figured it would probably be best to have Bucky move into the apartment out in Brooklyn instead of finding a new place…”

As Steve relayed the details of Bucky’s move-in, Tony drowned his voice out. He thought maybe he should interject and ask Steve to move in with him, but he didn’t want to look desperate. Besides, they just started seeing each other and would Steve even want to move in with him? Yet, he knew thinking about Steve and Bucky living together would only make him miserable. Just hearing about it was already twisting his heart apart.

“…Tony?” Steve’s calm voice broke through Tony’s mental dilemma.

“Yep?” Tony looked upward at Steve who was looking downward at him somewhat.

“Did you hear that Bucky’s probably moving in before the end of the month?”

Tony swallowed a lump in his throat as he tried to process this information. “Yep, uh, can I help?” He asked awkwardly.

Steve chuckled. “It’s okay. But thank you.” He smiled before giving Tony a hug.

Tony nodded back but felt too weirded out about Bucky moving in with Steve, alone. He tried to shake it off, refocusing the conversation on something else, but every attempt failed. Thankfully, he was saved by a cheery-looking Bruce who had approached them.

“Hey guys!” Bruce greeted a little too loudly.

Tony sneered at his friend as he let go of Steve. “Get that date yet, Banner?”

Bruce swiveled his head back and forth, now embarrassed that Tony had overheard him asking Natasha out for drinks.

“Why ask if you’re already listening in on my conversations?” Bruce muttered, prompting a laugh from Tony.

Tony reached over to give Bruce a semi-hug with his free hand. “Banner, I’m just giving you a hard time. Where are you planning on romancing the lovely Ms. Romanov?”

Bruce rolled his eyes as he appeared to be coming up with possible scenarios for his future date with Natasha. Steve was listening, but his ears began to pick up on a conversation next to their huddle.

“Didn’t you hear?”

“Hear what?”

“Loki…”

Steve turned a bit at the mentioning of Loki’s name. He was halfheartedly listening to Tony and Bruce, but now mostly focused on the external conversation.

“…I guess he left the company. And it was not pretty…”

“That’s too bad. I wonder what Thor thinks.”

_I thought everyone knew about Loki’s arrest…_Steve wondered to himself as his ears strained even more without making it obvious he was eavesdropping.

“…I don’t know, but I think the reason why Loki left has something to do with Dr. Selvig.”

_Dr. Selvig?_ Steve leaned closer as he left Tony wrap a hand around his waist. Steve thought back to the strange encounter the day they found out about Clint’s assault when he witnessed Dr. Selvig marching out of Loki’s lab. Steve felt compelled to mention something to Tony, but figured he should wait until Natasha found something with the tapes.

“Hey,” Tony’s voice interrupted Steve’s concentration, “you wanna get out of here?”

Steve abruptly refocused his attention onto Tony, realizing that Bruce had left them alone.

“Uh, sure,” Steve straightened himself out, “just let me say goodbye to Bucky and Sam.”

Tony nodded slowly as Steve unhooked himself before locating his wandering friends.

“Hey guys.” Steve started as he approached Sam and Bucky who were leaning against a small high table, “I’m taking off.”

“Okay, have a good night, Steve.” Sam kindly waved his friend off. However, Bucky seemed annoyed.

“Just make sure to use protection, Cap.” Bucky offered curtly.

Steve’s eyes widened, becoming instantly uncomfortable by his friend’s assertion.

“What? It’s raining outside. What did you _think_ I meant?” Bucky laughed as he slapped Steve on the arm a few times. Sam laughed also, but Steve only glared.

“Very funny, Buck.” Steve rolled his eyes as his friends continued to laugh at his expense.

“Let me know when you’re on your way back home, Steve.” By this time Steve had turned to leave, but he could hear Sam’s voice behind him.

He turned slightly to wave back at his friends before finding Tony again who was standing next to Happy, chatting away enthusiastically.

“Rogers, I’m having Happy drive us home, hope it doesn’t spoil you.” Tony said with a grin as he patted Steve on the back a few times.

Steve attempted a smile, but his expression morphed into a cringe as he thought about Bucky’s implication.

* * *

_A little later…_

Tony ran ahead to open the door to the lobby for Steve. Although he still felt weird about Bucky being so blatant back at the restaurant, Steve managed to finally smile as he watched Tony sprint to the elevator bank.

Tony turned around with a huge grin on his face before he used his fingerprints to access the private express elevator.

“It looks like something’s eating you up, Cap.” Tony observed, still grinning with his arms crossed as Steve finally joined him at the elevator.

Steve sighed. “Nothing. It was just something Bucky said to me.”

Tony winced before leering at Steve. “Well, _what_ did Mr. Barnes say?” He teased, yet to Steve, Tony didn’t sound as good-humored as he was apt to be.

Nevertheless, Steve laughed before shaking his head. “It’s nothing, Tony.”

Tony chuckled as he slid a hand around Steve’s waist. Steve blushed as he tried to look away from Tony.

“What? Just tell me what he said.” Tony asked again, trying to sound as playful as possible.

Steve shrugged as he groaned. He never understood why everyone else he knew was so casual when it came to joking about sex.

“…he just made a joke about…using protection…” He answered, feeling his face flush.

Steve looked slightly downward at Tony whose face went rigid before he burst into laughter causing Steve to groan again.

“Steve, _sweetheart_. That doesn’t even come close to what I’ve said to you.” He looked upward at Steve with a genuine smile.

Steve managed to smile back, realizing that he was probably talking himself too seriously, per usual.

Tony laughed again but it was more subdued this time. He pulled Steve closer toward his body before gently caressing his face.

“Why don’t we go upstairs and get into bed?” Tony asked softly.

Steve nodded as Tony let go of him to access the private express elevator again. On the ride up to the penthouse, Steve had noticed that Tony was trying to restrain himself. Steve then reached over to give Tony a hug, turning somewhat to pull him into a kiss. They continued like this until the elevator stopped at the penthouse level. Tony unwillingly pushed himself away from Steve as he led them to his bedroom.

“How long is Peter staying over at May’s?” Steve took Tony’s hand as he let himself be guided.

“Until tomorrow night. It’s only been a week, but I feel like I haven’t seen him in ages.” Tony answered.

“I’m sure he’ll be super excited to see you.” Steve whispered as they reached the bedroom.

After Tony opened the door, Steve held onto him to kiss him before walking over to the side of the bed he usually slept on. He smiled at Tony who was lingering near the door, watching Steve. Steve proceeded to undress, stopping short of taking his briefs off. Tony continued to watch Steve undress as he took his time pulling of his tie and unbuttoning his shirt.

“Hey, I’m going to take a quick shower first. You’ll be okay without me?” Tony teased.

Steve nodded with a smile. “Yeah, of course.”

Tony grinned at Steve before walking to his bathroom. Steve watched the door close, listening for the shower.

He laid down, turning over onto his back as he listened to the shower run. Steve thought about the way Tony was looking at him which elicited a warm feeling inside. He turned his head a bit to look at the bathroom door, thinking about Tony showering, imagining Tony standing naked in the shower, touching himself while possibly thinking about him. The feeling prompted by his imagination grew as Steve could feel himself getting hard just thinking about Tony.

Steve looked upward at the ceiling before peeking downward at the covers on top of his body. He removed the sheets slightly to keep looking at himself before reaching downward to feel a little. He moaned as soon as his hand found its way to the base of his cock. He closed his eyes as he felt himself, getting so caught up in the moment that he lost track of time.

“I hope I’m not too late to the party.”

Steve nearly jumped out of the bed at the sound of Tony’s voice.

Tony laughed. He was standing next to the bed only wearing a towel around his waist. “Don’t mind me. Keep going. I’m just enjoying the show.” He teased, waiting a moment before joining Steve in the bed.

Steve felt too awkward to articulate a response to Tony, embarrassed that he had found him like that.

“…I am so embarrassed…” Steve let out as Tony removed his towel before slipping underneath sheets completely naked.

He laughed again as he turned to face Steve. “I don’t know why. _That_ was fucking hot.”

Steve smiled meekly as he commanded himself to relax. He turned to face Tony more directly, immediately caught up in Tony’s scent reminiscent of his shower. Steve breathed deeply as he reached over to wrap both hands as best as he could around Tony’s waist. Tony let his body be pulled closer toward Steve who used the opportunity to run his hands along Tony’s backside. Steve gazed at Tony for a second or two before moving inward for a kiss. Tony kissed him back slowly as Steve held onto him even tighter. After a moment, Tony gently broke away, but he kept his hands on Steve.

He shuffled a bit before reaching up a hand to stroke Steve’s face, hesitating before continuing.

“You know, Rogers. You know more about me than most of my closest friends…”

Steve waited, sensing that Tony had more on his mind.

“…I don’t really talk about my dad with anyone except the one or two times with a therapist I saw once…”

Steve nodded; it was obvious that Tony was attempting to open up to him more.

“…you know somethings about me that my closest friends don’t know either, Tony…” Steve offered.

He smiled as he reached out a hand to caress Tony’s neck. “I don’t like talking about past relationships, or lack thereof…” he laughed quietly which seemed to ease the atmosphere between the two.

“…also, I don’t really talk about the last conversation I had with my mother…it’s really easy to talk to you.”

Tony nodded timidly, but he was smiling. “Based on this and everything else you’ve told me in the past, you’re such a hopeless romantic, Rogers.”

But Steve tilted his head as best as he could with curiosity. “Why would you say that?”

Tony grinned. “You once told me that you like old romantic Hollywood movies like _Casablanca_ and _Roman Holiday_…but…in both of those movies, the couple splits up by the end.” He reminded Steve.

Steve chuckled. “I forgot that I told you that…,” he waited a bit before rubbing Tony’s cheek, lightly caressing him, “but I sincerely hope that my love life ends happier.”

Tony nodded as he leaned into Steve’s hand. He placed a hand on Steve’s cheek before pulling him close.

“…me too, Steve.”

Steve smiled before moving inward to kiss Tony. Tony kissed him back, rubbing Steve’s back before moving his hands downward to cup Steve’s ass. Steve moaned softly into Tony’s mouth; he thought about how great it felt being so close to Tony which translated into thinking about how great it would feel to be _even_ closer to Tony, but Steve wasn’t sure how to ask for it.

Steve turned his head to the side to address Tony who kept kissing his neck. “Tony…,” he exhaled deeply, “…do you think we could…” he began before stopping himself.

Tony looked at him with an interested expression. “Could what, Steve?”

Steve inhaled then exhaled deeply again. “…could we try…you know…going further?”

Tony stared blankly at Steve before it became clear that he realized what Steve was referring to.

“Uh,” Tony started as he shuffled backward to look at Steve more directly, “are you sure…?”

Steve nodded a few times without verbally responding.

Tony smiled. “Well, I was kind of hoping for this, to be honest, but I didn’t want to pressure you…”

Steve nodded again as he let Tony move inward for a kiss. Steve turned a little to kiss Tony back. He felt Tony feel the back of his neck before his hands roamed down the length of his body again, pushing into Steve.

Steve moaned quietly as he pushed more into Tony; Tony’s scent and thinking about being as close to him as possible sent a surge through the base of his body.

Tony used his body weight to push Steve onto his back. He then climbed on top of Steve, straightening up as he rocked his hips forward. He leaned forward slightly to rest his hands on Steve’s chest. Steve’s body instinctively rocked upwards into Tony’s, but he tried to restrain himself once he realized he was rolling his hips faster.

Tony grinned as he looked downward at Steve. “…historically, I’ve done it both ways. It really depended on the person, but…” he took his time stretching himself out on top of Steve who squiggled underneath to reposition them.

“…I’m so into you, Steve, that I’ll do whatever the _fuck_ you want…” Tony moved his head so that he could whisper into Steve’s ear who was, at this point, completely speechless.

“…I would like to slide my cock in and out of that beautiful ass of yours, but I would also like to feel you inside of me…” Tony whispered, now lying on top of Steve, grinding his body up against his, feeling his chest as he nestled his nose in the crook of Steve’s neck.

Steve stayed completely silent, trying to process what he had asked for, but he couldn’t help himself as he rubbed Tony’s backside.

Tony shuffled so that he was lying directly on top of Steve again. He looked downward at him sweetly, stroking the back of his neck.

Steve cleared his throat. “…I have to be honest…” he sighed, “…I want this but…I’m not going to be good at it…”

Tony waited before answering. He continued to stroke the back of Steve’s neck. “Steve…it’s okay. That doesn’t matter…honestly,” he laughed to himself, “I could jerk off to just thinking about you smiling.”

Steve let out a whiny noise as he shuffled underneath Tony, but he smiled to convey to Tony that he knew he was attempting to ease his apprehension.

“We don’t have to tonight if you feel uncomfortable…” Tony offered.

Steve shook his head a few times, still holding onto Tony. “I want to, Tony.”

Tony straightened back up again, grinning at Steve as he squeezed his waist with both hands, taking a moment before reaching over toward his bedside table. He let go of Steve to lean over some more, before losing his balance as he tried to open the drawer, but Steve caught him by the arm.

“Careful.” Steve managed as he held onto Tony.

Tony laughed as he rummaged through the drawer to find the thing he was looking for. He produced a small tube, but his hand was covering the label. Tony returned to straddling Steve, grinning as he popped open the cap.

Finally, Steve realized that Tony was holding a tube of lube. He felt a little uneasy as it became clear that there were about to have anal sex.

However, it appeared that Tony had picked up on Steve’s palpable trepidation because he stopped what he was doing to look at Steve.

“Steve, it’s really okay if you don’t want to do this.” Tony whispered.

Steve shook his head empathically. “No, Tony. I’m fine. I promise…just a little nervous, that’s all…”

Tony nodded as he reached downward to caress Steve’s face. “I get it. But we’ll take it easy, okay?”

Steve nodded back as he rested his hands on Tony’s hips. Tony smiled before tugging on the waistband of Steve’s briefs, prompting Steve to awkwardly finish the job for him. Tony squeezed a significant amount of lube onto the palm of his hand; he leaned forward as he repositioned himself, reaching the hand covered with lube behind himself as he straddled Steve.

Steve shuffled around to get more comfortable, still holding onto Tony. Tony leaned forward a bit to kiss him as he rocked his hips. He began to moan as he kissed Steve, his hips rocking steadily. Steve kept his eyes on Tony as he pushed upward. Tony pushed downward into his body before easing.

Tony rocked forward before leaning downward to kiss Steve’s neck. Steve tilted his head to the side to look at the bottom half of Tony’s body. His eyes traced from Tony’s arm behind his body to his hand, realizing that Tony was fingering himself as he kissed Steve. Steve couldn’t stop staring; he watched Tony’s fingers move in and out of his body which was causing Tony to moan louder than usual.

“…fuck…” Tony let out as he stopped fingering himself to place both hands on Steve’s chest.

Steve looked upward at Tony as the latter straddled his body again. Tony gripped Steve’s cock, rubbing him for a bit before grabbing the tube of lube. He leaned forward to kiss Steve as he continued to rub, rocking his hips forward.

Steve moaned before Tony leaned back. He reached for the bedside table, moving a bit off Steve. Steve watched as he realized that Tony had found a condom in the drawer. Steve continued to stare as Tony repositioned himself again, tearing the condom wrapper with his teeth as he continued to rub Steve’s cock. Tony threw the wrapper behind him before rolling the condom onto Steve, positioning himself to lower down onto Steve’s hardening cock. As soon as Tony neared, Steve’s body reacted immediately. He let out a gasp as Tony continued to lower himself.

Steve could hardly control himself as he felt Tony’s body squeeze him as he lowered. Steve instinctively bucked up into Tony’s body, trying to slow down, but the sensation was too great.

“Hey,” Tony placed both hands on Steve’s chest again, “slow down for a sec, soldier.”

Steve nodded a few times; his face was flushed. “S-sorry, Tony.”

Tony laughed as he leaned forward to kiss Steve. “It’s fine. I haven’t done this in a while so we should take it easy for a bit as we get use to each other.”

Steve nodded again, closing his eyes as he felt Tony gradually push downward into his body. As Tony kept rocking forward, Steve closed his eyes as the feeling between them escalated. Steve felt like he could feel every bit of Tony; he tried to restrain himself, but his body was overreacting from Tony’s movements.

Tony moaned as he rocked forward, keeping his hands on Steve’s chest as his body bobbed up and down with every motion. Steve opened his eyes slightly to look at Tony; he had never seen him like this before and he couldn’t help staring.

“Fuck, Steve…you feel so amazing…” Tony let out as he leaned forward some more. Steve watched Tony’s ass pop up and down as he continued to push forward.

“Oh my god, Tony…” Steve breathed as he watched Tony.

Tony moaned even louder from before as Steve bucked up into his body. He leaned forward again to kiss Steve, now touching and rubbing himself. Steve could feel himself giving in, but he didn’t want to come so quickly; he was afraid it would turn off Tony.

But he couldn’t help himself. Feeling Tony like this had been better than he had ever expected, and he couldn’t slow down his body’s movements.

“Tony…I think I’m…going to come.” Steve whispered.

Tony leaned forward with another moan. He placed one hand on Steve’s chest as he continued to touch himself.

“Then come, baby.” He whispered back, “…I’m close, too.”

Steve whimpered as he pushed upward sharply into Tony. Tony pushed back, both rocking into the other as their paces quickened.

Tony started groaning as he leaned forward to kiss Steve before kissing the underside of his chin. He moaned some more as Steve felt that wet slick feeling between the two of them. Tony straightened up again, rocking forward faster, holding onto himself as he came.

Steve bucked upward into Tony once more before he felt himself let go, quietly swearing to himself. Tony kept one hand on Steve’s chest as he kept moaning, trying not to laugh from Steve swearing again, his body eventually slowing down before lying on top of Steve. Steve wrapped both arms around Tony, holding him as he also came.

After a moment or so, Tony flopped down next to Steve, panting heavily. Steve turned onto his side to place a hand on Tony’s chest, too amazed with what just happened between them.

“…was it okay?” Steve asked, his voice low and a little coarse.

Tony laughed again as he shuffled around. “Rogers, you really need to stop doing that…” He teased before turning his head somewhat to face Steve.

“…if I come all over you like that, then it was more than okay.”

Steve smiled as best as he could. He pushed his body into Tony, pulling him closer toward his chest.

“…I think the question is, was it good for you?” Tony added quietly.

Steve nodded; he couldn’t believe how great it felt to be that close to Tony. He shuffled to lie halfway on top of Tony; he couldn’t stop his hands from roaming everywhere.

“…of course…I…that felt so good.” Steve finally responded.

Tony chuckled as he cupped Steve’s backside. “Good…” Steve then felt Tony kiss the top of his head.

He held onto Tony, still feeling euphoric. The feeling washed over him as Steve suddenly felt himself falling asleep, still clutching onto Tony as he let himself drift off.


	26. Chapter 26

_The next morning…_

Tony woke up suddenly, complete with an unconstrained yawn. He glanced around the bedroom before noticing that Steve was nestled on top of his chest, still sleeping soundly. Thinking about last night, Tony smiled as he gently pushed his body into Steve whose leg was hugging his legs. Steve squirmed a little before making a few noises, signaling that he was in the process of waking up.

Tony rubbed the hand holding Steve along the length of his backside, stopping short before grabbing Steve’s ass. He then moved his other hand to ran through Steve’s hair as the latter continued letting out half-asleep noises.

Tony sat up in the bed as best as he could, prompting a now awake Steve to slide his body on top of him.

“Good morning.” Steve whispered as he reached to caress Tony’s face with both hands.

“Morning.” Tony answered back, rocking his hips forward, lingering before titling his head upward to press his lips against Steve’s, placing both hands on his hips, now controlling the movement of Steve’s rocking motion. Steve kissed Tony back, moaning slightly as he let Tony grip his body tighter.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Tony whispered through another kiss, "could you give me a rundown of my schedule today, please?” He asked as he pushed upward into Steve’s body before shifting his body weight to turn Steve over onto his back. Tony climbed on top of Steve before kissing him again.

“Right away, Sir.” J.A.R.V.I.S. answered, “you have a meeting at 10am. Afterward is the board meeting. Following lunch, you have a phone call coming from the west coast with Ms. Potts. Mr. Parker will be home later this evening and his school report is due tomorrow.”

Tony nodded with a smile as Steve wiggled underneath him to sit up a bit. Tony straddled his waist, looking downward somewhat.

“Uh, that meeting at 10am is the one with the executive committee to talk about you and me…” Tony explained quietly.

Steve nodded as he tilted his chin upward to kiss Tony. “I hope it’s not awkward.” He teased.

Hearing the jovial tone in Steve’s voice eased Tony about the meeting. He slid a hand around Steve's neck to caress him.

“I have no doubt it will be.” Tony joked back.

Steve laughed as he kissed Tony once more. They held onto each other, squeezing the other tightly as their hands roamed along each other’s bodies.

Tony sighed as he turned his head away from Steve. “I should probably get ready…should take a shower to clean up from last night.” He grinned with a wink at Steve.

He then kissed Steve one last time before shuffling off the bed. “Also,” he turned to face Steve, “I need to get a couple hours in the lab before the meeting today…or try to anyway.”

Tony watched Steve smile with a nod before he turned around to head into his bathroom.

* * *

_Later that morning…_

The Synergy executive committee, which comprised of Tony, Pepper, Fury, and Obadiah, was sitting at a large table in one of the nicer conference rooms in Stark Tower. Tony was on one side of the conference table while the other three faced him directly on the other side. One of the interns had set up a continental breakfast for the committee, but Tony, uncharacteristically, had been too nervous to eat anything.

As everyone final settled, Tony took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for quick second. He leaned forward, interlacing his hands on top the table surface.

“Thanks for fitting me into your schedules,” he began lightheartedly, “I wanted to disclose to you all a close relationship I have with one of the members of Synergy…” Tony inhaled once more as everyone intently waited for him to finish.

Tony shrugged with a grin. “Well, it’s Captain Rogers. We’re seeing each other.” He kept smirking at the group to mask how embarrassed he was beginning to feel talking about Steve out loud like this, especially in front of Obadiah.

Pepper clapped her hands together with delight, but then restrained herself as best as she could; Fury only nodded but it was accompanied with a typical-sly-Fury smile; and Obadiah’s expression remained painfully stoic.

“That’s wonderful, Tony!” Pepper nearly exclaimed, although Tony knew she was already aware of his relationship with Steve.

Fury chuckled which animated his entire body. “When I said this could be a ‘mentoring opportunity’ I didn’t mean _quite _that, Stark.” He joked which prompted Tony to let out a very awkward-sounding laugh.

Tony turned to face Obadiah who was still very silent. The two men stared at each other as Fury and Pepper continued to comment on the news.

“Obie, you’re very quiet.” Tony eventually observed aloud with a slight edge to his voice although he was sure not biting enough to make the situation any more uncomfortable than it already could be.

Obadiah grinned before laughing to himself. He crossed he legs before resting a closed fist on top of the table.

“Well, I’m very happy for you, Anthony. This one _sounds _promising.” He offered. Tony could hear the condescension in his tone, but he shrugged it off.

“Well, _thanks_, Obie.” Tony shot back. Part of him wanted to jab Obadiah about accusing Steve of an inappropriate relationship with a superior, but thankfully he managed to contain himself.

“Rogers is great,” Fury started, “would have loved to have him out in the field during my military heyday.” He offered, seemingly unaware that he had interjected between Tony and Obadiah's tensed moment.

Tony laughed. “I’ll let him know you said that.”

Obadiah rose from the table. “Thank you for keeping us in the loop, my boy.” He began as he poured himself some more coffee.

“Of course, Obie. That’s what business partners do. They don’t hide things from one another.” Tony responded, still sitting at the table.

Obadiah slowly turned around. He was holding a little plate with a croissant and some fruit on top.

“Right. No secrets.” He glared at Tony before stuffing the croissant into his mouth.

Fury rose the table. “We need to prep a bit for the board meeting. Stane?” He motioned for Obadiah to follow him out of the room, and Fury winked at Tony as they exited.

As soon as they were left alone in the room, both Tony and Pepper met at the breakfast table. Tony lingered near Pepper who was still smiling at him. She then reached over to pull him into a hug.

“I’m so happy for you, Tony.” She whispered as she held Tony tighter to kiss him on the cheek.

Tony hugged her back. “Thanks, Pep.”

Pepper tilted away from Tony to smile sweetly at him before turning to face the breakfast table. She pilled some fruit and a pastry onto a plate before handing it to Tony. Tony meekly accepted the plate, reaching for a piece of fruit on the plate, taking his time chewing before addressing her again.

“Did you have a nice time at the thing last night?” He asked in between bites.

“I did! It was better than usual. Rhodey told me about your Q&A session.” Pepper grinned.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Rhodes needs to chill more often. Besides all the shit that’s happened so far, the device is _literally _the best it’s ever been.”

“Of course, Tony. I’m not questioning you. I think we’re all just on edge.”

Pepper watched Tony eat another piece of fruit. “…I talked to Obadiah about Loki’s termination…” She volunteered, her voice lowering as she inched closer toward Tony.

“…he said something about poor performance…” Pepper looked around the room as if someone was listening in on their conversation.

“…I snooped through Loki’s personnel file in Obadiah’s office when he was out…” She added before groaning.

Tony chuckled. “Pep!”

Pepper motioned with her hands for Tony to keep his voice down. “Everything Obadiah said about the termination and the arrest checked out. Loki’s lab hadn’t been producing anything substantial, and he stole some equipment…that’s why Obadiah had him arrested…”

Tony placed his plate down on the table as he shook his head. “I don’t buy it. Something’s off. Obie _most_ likely doctored that file.”

“You really think so, Tony?” Pepper managed to convey how shocked she was with Tony’s allegation although she kept her voice low.

Tony waited before sighing. “Remember when I took Rogers with me to the west coast for that tech conference a while back?”

Pepper nodded, but she looked perplexed.

Tony shrugged before crossing his arms. “We went to see those buyers…”

“Tony!” Pepper nearly shouted, causing Tony to motion for her to keep her voice down.

“Tony, you could have gotten either yourself or Steve hurt. What if Obadiah found out? What if he already knows? How did you meet the buyers without them recognizing you?” Pepper couldn’t help herself from inadvertently interrogating Tony.

Tony motioned with his hands again. “I made up a fake name for myself and Steve…and I used this thing I invented to change our genetic makeup…,” Pepper groaned loudly with a curt “Tony!”, yet Tony pressed on, “but, I think they knew we were going to meet them. The transaction seemed too abrupt.”

Pepper sighed. “Tony, I’m getting a really bad feeling about this.”

Tony shook his head. “We just need to remain diligent. Nothing’s come up about the buyers.”

Pepper nodded slowly as she made a move to exit the conference room. As Tony followed her out, he reached out a hand to gently stop her before she could leave the room.

“Hey, Pep. I won’t lie to you, but this could potentially become more dangerous than it already has been. Promise me you’ll lie low now, okay?” He made sure to convey to her his sincerity for her wellbeing.

Pepper nodded again as she rubbed Tony’s arm. “I appreciate the concern, Tony, but I’ll be okay. However, please look after yourself…please don’t run off and play spy again without telling me, okay?”

Tony laughed, but he grimaced before reaching over to hug her again. “Okay, so let’s get this meeting out of the way.” Tony pulled away from Pepper before walking down the hallway to prepare for the board meeting.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

“Dr. Selvig?”

Natasha was standing in the entrance to Dr. Selvig’s lab. The scientist was working at a console with his back turned toward her, but he didn’t budge.

Natasha cleared her throat to get his attention. “Dr. Selvig.”

The scientist turned around abruptly as soon as he heard his name called. “Y-yes?” He muttered, holding a tablet.

Natasha took her time approaching him, stopping a few feet in front of him.

“Do you know anything about the night a Synergy team member was attacked?” She asked quietly.

Looking quite surprised, Dr. Selvig swallowed before looking downward at his tablet. He shuffled around a bit before looking directly at Natasha.

“Uh, no…w-why do you ask?”

Natasha crossed her arms. “I ran over the security footage from that night. You and Loki were the only people on that floor.”

Dr. Selvig fidgeted some more before walking briskly toward the entrance of his lab. He looked around anxiously before motioning for Natasha to following him to one of the consoles nearest to the back of the lab.

“How much trouble am I in?” He whispered.

Natasha’s facial expression turned stern. “Less if you come clean.”

Dr. Selvig looked around them before turning to face Natasha. “I was told no one would get hurt…”

Natasha nodded slowly, but her expression remained serious.

“How did you find out?” Dr. Selvig asked quietly, his voice trembling.

Natasha sighed as she rested her hands on her hips. “It took some work; whoever’s been doctoring the security footage did one hell of a job.”

Dr. Selvig nodded as he took a deep breath. “I was the one who tampered with the device for the board presentation, but I did not attack Mr. Barton…”

He sighed once more as he placed the tablet he was holding on the console. “I was originally given the command to do whatever I needed to do to get into the lab, but I couldn’t do it…Loki must have attacked…Mr. Barton after I left that evening…”

“Did you also jam up the device at the precinct?” Natasha asked.

Dr. Selvig’s eyes widened. “I did, but…” his voice trailed off before he could explain further.

He turned away from Natasha as he leaned up against a table. “…I didn’t know how dangerous this was going to become…,” he inhaled before continuing, “…I was trying to go about this as safely as possible…”

Natasha drew nearer toward him. “You mention a ‘command’. Who are you working for?”

Dr. Selvig shook his head as he tried to walk away. “I can’t tell you that.”

Natasha placed a hand on his shoulder to get him to look directly at her. “Dr. Selvig. You have to cooperate.”

The scientist looked downward before looking up at Natasha. “I can’t…this is too dangerous…”

Natasha stared at him for a moment or so before it became obvious that he was unwilling to cooperate.

“If you don’t, I’m going to have to get S.H.I.E.L.D. involved.” Natasha added firmly.

“I'd rather be in custody.” Dr. Selvig looked intently at her, his voice, this time, never quivered.

Natasha’s eyes widened with disbelief. She grabbed Dr. Selvig by the arm before using a secured-mobile phone to call Agent Hill.

* * *

_Later that afternoon…_

After their call from the west coast, both Tony and Pepper were sitting in the former’s office, going through some tedious company items before they heard a knock at the door. Both glanced at the other quickly, but before Tony could answer, Natasha peeked in.

“Good, you’re both here.” She said as she entered.

Pepper and Tony looked at each other again as Natasha walked further into the office. She perched herself against one of the bookshelves, holding a manila envelope in one hand.

Tony could tell from Natasha’s expression, which wasn’t easy to do usually, that something was bothering her. He motioned for her to continue.

“I’ve been looking through the footage from the last couple incidents related to the Synergy device…” Natasha leaned forward to drop the envelope onto Tony’s desk.

“…I also spoke to Dr. Selvig…” She concluded.

Both Tony and Pepper glanced at each other before Tony reached for the envelope. After opening the envelope, he flipped through a few documents until his expression hardened.

“What, Tony?” Pepper asked.

Tony looked at Natasha before giving Pepper the envelope. Pepper looked through the files as Tony leaned back in his chair, visibly upset by the new information.

“The security tapes were doctored…and…Loki set the explosive up at the precinct?” Pepper gasped.

Natasha nodded. “Someone posted his bail, but he’s been missing ever since…”

* * *

_Not long after…_

“This betrayal! Wait until I get my hands on him!” Thor shouted, as he paced back and forth, fuming.

Thor was standing at the front of a smaller conference room facing Tony, Steve, Clint, Bruce, and Shuri. Tony had informed the rest of the team that Loki was responsible for planting the explosive the day of the explosion at the police precinct, and Thor had been ranting about the update ever since.

After speaking with Natasha, Tony had everyone meet him in the conference room while Natasha had gone back to S.H.I.E.L.D. to question Dr. Selvig, and Pepper had proceeded to go about normal company business in order not to alarm the rest of the company about Dr. Selvig’s arrest.

“Relax, Richard III. We should proceed with caution.” Tony had his arms crossed as he played back the cleaned-up security footage on a console above the conference table. The team watched the night Loki assaulted Clint in Tony and Steve’s lab.

“Great first day, am I right?” Clint grinned at Shuri who was standing next to Bruce. He seemed wholly unbothered that the team was witnessing his assault on tape.

“Eh, I’ve had more eventful days.” Shuri answered casually, prompting Bruce to dipped his eyeglasses with curiosity.

“Tony,” Steve joined Tony at the conference table, “we can’t let Loki get away with this. He could have gotten people killed.”

Tony twisted his neck to glare at Steve. He was already annoyed that he was right that his employees, and possibly Obadiah, were trying to sabotage Synergy, but for some reason his annoyance and Steve’s otherwise innocent statement reminded him of the argument over the failsafe.

_That’s no substitution for caution, Tony… _

_It bothers me that you don’t even care about your own safety… _

_You are so reckless…_

Tony could feel his frustration with the entire situation irrationally over taking his composure and he immediately took it out on Steve.

“I thought I was responsible for that, Rogers?” Tony retorted.

As soon as Steve recoiled from the comment, Tony knew he should have kept the retort to himself. Steve glared back at Tony and Tony could feel everyone else staring at them.

“Can I speak with you for a quick second, please?” Steve coolly demanded.

Tony rolled his eyes as he followed Steve out of the conference room.

“Lovers' spat.” Bruce said out loud to everyone in the room as soon as the door closed.

Both Thor and Shuri nodded knowingly, but Clint sat up in the chair he was lounging in, looking extremely confused.

“What? Rogers and Stark??” He then nearly rose out his chair, “am I the _only_ the one who didn’t about know this?”

Thor sighed loudly. “I have never seen two hearts pine for the other as I see in those two, and this includes how I feel for my dearest Jane.” It was obvious that he was still upset with his brother, but now Thor was clearly annoyed that Clint had been so oblivious, despite having been in the hospital.

Bruce pointed at Thor as he nodded in agreement back at Clint. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

* * *

Steve took a moment as the door to the conference room closed behind him and Tony, but before he could say anything, Tony quickly interjected.

“Look, Rogers. I’m sorry, but I’m more than a _little _irritated that Obie is sabotaging Synergy.”

Steve nodded as he placed his hands on his hips. “I should really apologize. I realize I haven’t since the argument over the failsafe…it’s obvious that it’s still bothering you…”

Tony grimaced, completely surprised by Steve’s change in tone. “Well,” Tony forced his face to relax, “I shouldn’t have taken this out on you…”

Steve waved Tony off before glancing around them, making sure they were alone in the hallway. He placed his hands on Tony’s upper arms before rubbing them.

“I was out of line. You wouldn’t have said what you said if I hadn’t spoken to you that way…” Steve looked downward at Tony, smiling, but his expression was pained.

“Steve…” Tony started, letting Steve pull him nearer to his body.

However, before their conversation could go any further, Thor burst through the conference room door, nearly knocking both Tony and Steve over. Bruce and Clint piled out of the room to chase after him.

“Thor! Hey! Where are you going?” Tony shouted after him.

“I’m going to find Loki!” Thor was almost halfway down the corridor.

Tony looked at Steve before making a move to catch up with Thor, but Steve grabbed him by the arm.

“Tony, hold on.” Steve let go of Tony before racing after Thor.

Steve managed to cut Thor off before he could march away. “Thor, stop. You have to think rationally.” He held out a hand to keep Thor in place.

Thor fumed. “There’s no time for planning. Loki will only drag us further into his lies.”

Steve sighed as he kept his hand in place. He glanced back at the conference room as the whole group was now huddled outside.

“I understand, Thor. But we have to proceed with caution.” Steve then trained his eyes onto Tony.

“We don’t know who else is involved and it might go to the top. If it does, we’re only making it worst without coming up with a plan first.”

Thor stared at Steve before turning around somewhat to face the group.

Tony stepped forward. “Listen, Thor. I want to find your brother just as much as you do. However, we need to figure out a plan. That’s the only way.”

Tony turned to look at the rest of the group behind him before stepping closer toward Steve and Thor. “We have that board event coming up this weekend, so we should act as if business is usual, okay?”

Everyone nodded, except Thor who only groaned to himself.

Tony pointed at Clint. “Barton, I need you to help Romanov with Selvig down at S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Clint nodded. Tony then indicated Bruce and Shuri.

“I need the two of you on the finishing details for that postponed simulation for the board. We’ll also use it as an opportunity to guard the device closely while we track down Loki.”

Both Shuri and Bruce responded verbally. Tony then turned to face Steve. “Rogers, we’re going to help Thor track Loki, but we need to do it off hours. Thor, figure out his usual hangouts, but keep us in the loop and we’ll get him with you, okay?”

Thor crossed his arms in a defiant huff.

“I said, ‘okay?’. Tony repeated sternly.

Thor eventually nodded but he made sure to visually communicate that he was not pleased with the situation.

“Besides that, everyone go about your days as you usually would until we find Loki. Everything else is off hours. Understood?”

Everyone verbally responded to a degree. Bruce walked up to Thor, patting him on the shoulder.

“Come on, big guy. You can let off steam in the lab.” Bruce motioned for Shuri to follow them to their lab.

Clint took his time approaching Steve and Tony. “Uh,” he shuffled around a bit, looking incredibly uncomfortable, “I think you guys look great together, by the way…” He offered awkwardly before spinning around to sprint off in the opposite direction.

Both Steve and Tony stared after Clint, confused by the compliment.

Tony shook his head. “Okay, whatever the hell that was about.”

Steve chuckled before reaching out to squeeze Tony’s arm. “Are we okay?”

Tony looked at Steve. “Uh, yeah—yes, of course. Thank you for having my back with Thor.”

Steve smiled as he finally let go of Tony. “Of course, Tony.”

Tony stared, coughing a few times before motioning for Steve to follow him.

“Okay, I think we’re going to have to keep a look out on Thor. He’ll try to go rogue on this with Loki, especially considering he hasn’t heard from him since his arrest.”

Steve nodded as they walked briskly toward their lab. “Right. I’ll coax my way into trying to get some more details about Loki.”

Tony stopped for a second as he watched Steve walk ahead of him, feeling the slight sensation in his chest but he managed to will it away before catching up with Steve.

“Hopefully this won’t mess with your move-in plans with Bucky.” Tony said as Steve slowed down next to him. He had meant for the comment to sound like a joke, but his tone came off deeply sarcastic instead.

Steve stopped before turning to look at Tony. “Of course not, Tony. This is a top priority.”

Tony laughed awkwardly. “I’m just messing with ya, Rogers.” He then tried to walk ahead of Steve who stopped him with an outstretched arm.

“Tony, are you sure we’re okay?” Steve asked quietly.

Tony sighed as he patted Steve on the arm. “Oh my god, chill, Cap. I’m trying to alleviate an already tensed situation.” He responded with an eye roll, not really sure with himself whether he was referring to the situation with Loki or Bucky moving in with Steve.

Steve stared at him as Tony tried to visually convey that he was fine. After a second or two, Steve finally let go of him so they could walk to their lab.

“Are you always this nosy? Jeez.” Tony lightly quipped, but he walked ahead of Steve so the latter wouldn’t see his hurt expression.

“Just trying to be open and honest.” Tony heard Steve behind him, but he pressed forward, trying to change the subject as they walked.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

“That’s it.”

Thanos grinned as he stepped back from the object in front of him. He was standing in a makeshift lab in an abandoned warehouse, surrounded by a couple people wearing white lab coats. Thanos produced a device from his inside coat pocket before aiming it at the object, tapping the surface a few times.

The object flickered, causing the people standing near him to back away, terrified, while Thanos stood in place.

“Sir, don’t we still, uh, need the device? Without it, this will—”

“Explode?” Thanos had held up a hand to silence the scientist, “yes, it is _very unstable_.”

He then tapped once more on the device he was holding before turning around. He tossed the device at the other scientist who clumsily caught it as Thanos briskly walked away.

“Those parts stolen from Stark Industries are our first attempt. We’ll try again.”

“Sir, I don’t mean to contradict you, but—”

“Then don’t.” But before one of the scientists could finish his statement, Thanos had spun around to glare at him.

“The Synergy device is only stable because of its virbanium core. We find something to counteract that and build the same core. It’s simple.”

Thanos then penetrated the scientist’s personal space. “Any more questions?”

The scientist shook his head quickly. “No, sir.”

Thanos stared before grinning once more. “Good. Let’s try this again.”

Both of the scientists nodded quickly as they followed Thanos behind a shielded area. As soon as they were at a safe distance, Thanos aimed the device from his pocket at the object. The object began to glow, shuddering violently...


	27. Chapter 27

_That weekend…_

Despite the new revelations concerning Dr. Selvig’s arrest, per Tony’s requests, everyone went about their normal tasks as usual, including attending the board event scheduled that weekend. However, everyone was still anxious about the stability of the project and whether they would be able to find Loki before an event similar to the precinct explosion unfortunately reoccurred.

Agents at S.H.I.E.L.D. questioned Dr. Selvig on any other possible employee conspirators, but besides implicating Loki, the scientist was reluctant to provide any other details, especially whoever was giving them orders to sabotage Synergy.

Tony had been more than annoyed that he had to let Dr. Selvig go; the scientist had been one of his best, but Tony couldn’t allow him to work at Stark Industries after possibly putting innocents in danger when he tampered with the device. Tony had hoped that questioning Dr. Selvig had led to incriminating Obadiah somehow, but any evidence of Obadiah’s involvement was barely circumstantial. Besides what Pepper had managed to find out about the buyers and Loki’s termination, Tony still didn’t have enough proof to fire his former mentor.

For the board event, the company had rented out a nice lounge located in an old historic fraternity lodge in midtown. The board usually held these events to placate investors and woo new ones, but Tony hoped the event would also boost morale amongst his team. The board had also taken the opportunity to invite other companies in the tech industry, much to Tony’s chagrin; he had the feeling he would have an unfortunate run-in, but with whom, he wasn’t sure.

Tony was standing with Rhodey, Pepper, and some board members. He could see Steve on the other side of the lounge speaking with Fury, Natasha, and some other people.

“Tony’s doing a great job with the team.” Pepper offered to the board members in their circle. Rhodey nodded as he patted Tony on the shoulder.

Tony shrugged. “It’s really a team effort, but sure I’ll take the credit.”

Everyone laughed at Tony’s joke, but one of the board members appeared agitated.

“What about that scientist tampering with the device multiple times?” He asked.

Pepper and Rhodey quickly glanced at each other before Tony spoke up.

“It’s a minor security breech. The agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. handled it as effectively as possible.” Tony responded with reassurance which seemed to ease the board member.

Both Rhodey and Pepper nodded in agreement, recognizing that Tony was doing his best not to raise further alarm regarding the situation. As the conversation switched to another topic, Tony scanned the room with his eyes, trying to find Steve again. He smiled as he spotted Steve talking with a board member; Tony was completely transfixed by his infectious personality.

He then grinned to himself as he sipped out of his drink, suddenly hearing his name called in the distance. As soon as he realized that his name was being called away from the huddle, Tony turned, now standing alone away from the rest of the group. All at once, he felt uneasy.

“It’s been a while, Tony.”

Tony froze as soon as he recognized the voice. It was Tiberius Stone.

* * *

_  
Meanwhile…_

Steve was intently listening to Fury and Natasha banter back and forth with the board member they had gathered around. He contributed to the conversation more than usual, finding himself becoming more comfortable with discussing not only the Synergy device but also his much-appreciated involvement with the team.

“We originally hired Rogers here to do our legal work, but he picked up on using the device so well that he’s now a star player.” Fury grinned as he patted Steve on the shoulder.

Steve shuffled around before smiling. “Well, working in Tony’s lab really helped a lot.”

Everyone nodded as they commented more on the team’s work. After a while, the group broke up and Steve was left alone with the board member.

“Despite those unfortunate mishaps,” the board member took her time drinking out of her glass, “I think you’re all doing a fabulous job, Mr. Rogers.”

Steve smiled kindly. “Thank you, I really appreciate that.”

* * *

Tony shuffled uncomfortably back and forth on his feet. “Ty.” He answered quietly, inching further away from the group he was originally engaged with.

Tiberius was grinning at him intentionally, so much so that it was beginning to make Tony feel extremely tense.

“Is it safe to assume that the board also sent you an invitation to this thing?” Tony used drinking out of his glass and looking away somewhat to steady himself.

Tiberius shrugged with a huff. “Actually, I received a personal invitation from Obie…but it would have been better coming from you, Tony.”

Tony couldn’t stop his insides from turning in on themselves; of course Obadiah would do something so meddling and deceitful, especially after Tony officially disclosed his relationship with Steve to the executive committee.

“Well, what can you do?” Tony managed to coolly answer.

“Tony,” Tiberius inched closer toward him as he lowered his voice, “I really do wish I could hear from you more often…”

Tony rolled his eyes as he groaned. “Ty, I really don’t need this right now…”

* * *

As his conversation with the board member continued on, Steve felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. He turned to see that Bucky was now standing next to him.

“Oh, hey!” Steve greeted his friend who he hadn’t seen all night. Bucky was visiting once more before finally relocating to New York to accept his new assignment. Both friends hugged each other before facing the board member.

Steve motioned toward the board member to introduce Bucky. “This is James Barnes.”

Bucky shook the board member’s hand after she introduced herself. “Pleasure to meet you.”

She then nodded knowingly at Steve and Bucky. “I hear that Mr. Rogers is doing a great job on the team. You must be _very_ proud, Mr. Barnes.” She offered, making it obvious that she wasn’t aware of Tony disclosing his relationship with Steve.

Both Steve and Bucky glanced at the other, signaling to each other that they knew the board member assumed they were dating. Steve smiled as he crossed his arms while looking downward and Bucky let out a hearty laugh.

“Yeah,” Bucky patted Steve on the back a few times, “he manages to impress me every day.” He quipped.

* * *

_Meanwhile outside of the event…_

Obadiah walked briskly out of the building as he pulled out his phone from the inside lining of his sports coat. He groaned to himself, realizing that he was receiving a call, and not one he was looking forward to.

_Just what I need…_Obadiah whined to himself.

Having Loki arrested was supposed to be a distraction. However, somehow the agents at S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to figure out that Dr. Selvig had also been involved.

_Some expert in manipulating film…_Obadiah sighed to himself once more before answering the call. Loki had been the one doctoring the security footage and had guaranteed that no one would be able to spot the incidents involving Dr. Selvig tampering with the device for the board presentation and Clint’s attack but that proved not to be the case.

“Stane,” Obadiah finally answered, pausing to listen to the other end of the receiver, “…yes, I also agree. I—” Obadiah rolled his eyes, but then smiled as he noticed some board members walking out of the lodge.

Obadiah waved with a fake smile as he listened to his caller. “…it’s a minor setback. If we get the device, then we’ll be able to move forward…besides—” At this point, a Stark Industries’ investor had past Obadiah on his way into the building. Obadiah paused to acknowledge the man.

“…can’t we use the device for the missing pieces? It’ll probably be a better fit than anything Selvig could come up with…”

Obadiah paused again, resting one hand on his hip. “I’m doing the best that I can here. You should tell your father that.” He added curtly, clearly frustrated with the call.

As the call went on longer than he had anticipated, Obadiah’s face twisted with annoyance.

“_Look_, just uphold your end of the bargain and I’ll do mine. Agreed?” Obadiah nodded once before angrily tapping on his phone to end the call.

As some other event guests emerged from the building, Obadiah straightened himself out, feigning the phoniest grin, before chatting with the guests.

* * *

_Back inside the event…_

“So, are you and Pepper still on the outs?” Tiberius calmly responded, staring directly at Tony.

Tony rolled his eyes again, but he prevented himself from groaning. “No, Ty. We’re friends now.”

“But _just_ friends, right? Because that’s what I meant.” Tiberius clarified with a disingenuous grin.

Tony backed away a bit. “Ty, even if I _weren’t_ seeing someone right now, I wouldn’t be interested, so have one of your goons dump a bucket of iced water on you or something.” He waved Tiberius off.

But Tiberius held still as he leaned inward to stare at Tony before looking over in Steve’s general direction.

“The _other _blonde over there, right? He looks military issued.”

Tony wouldn’t give Tiberius the satisfaction of visibly acknowledging Steve. “He already knows about you so you can cool it with the dramatics.”

Tiberius’s eyes widened with curiosity. “Well then…what if,” he wedged himself into Tony’s personal space, “the three of us went to that chalet out in the Alps? You remember the last time—"

Tony stuck his hand out, knocking Tiberius’s drink out of his hand. “Ty, back the _fuck_ off.”

Tiberius winced before visibly taking the hint. He smiled at Tony before backing away, holding his hands up in retreat.

“All right, all right, Tony. But call me when things with the soldier don’t work out.”

Tony turned sharply away from Tiberius’s retreat, steadying himself once more before looking around for Rhodey.

* * *

The board member complimented both Steve and Bucky again before announcing that she needed to mingle with some potential investors. Steve turned to face Bucky with a goofy grin just as the board member walked away.

“Oh wow, first time in a long time.” Steve chuckled, alluding to past events in which others had also wondered about his relationship with Bucky.

Bucky shrugged. His face looked grim which caught Steve off guard. “That’s because I have to suffer through a fancy event to spend time with you nowadays.”

Steve looked sternly at his friend. “What?”

“Nothing.” Bucky shrugged again, his expression turning cheerful suddenly. He swiftly grabbed an appetizer from a server passing trays before making a move to walk away.

Steve reached out an arm to stop him. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Bucky rolled his eyes as he swatted Steve’s arm away. “It’s nothing, Cap. I was just making a joke. Lighten up.”

Steve continued to stare intently at Bucky, indicating that he was still very much concerned with his friend’s change in demeanor.

Bucky sighed. “Steve, chill. Why don’t you enjoy this extravagant party?” He waved his hand around affectively.

Steve scrunched up his face. “Okay,” he then patted Bucky on the shoulder, “I’m going to find Tony.”

Bucky huffed loudly, but Steve ignored him as he took his time looking around the lounge before spotting Tony talking with Rhodey. He motioned for Bucky to follow him who went along reluctantly. As soon as Steve reached Tony, he noticed immediately that something was off; Tony appeared despondent.

“Hey.” Steve greeted, sliding an arm around Tony’s waist.

Tony barely looked at him before looking around hurriedly, but Steve hugged him tighter. The four of them chatted for a bit before Steve and Tony were left alone.

“Tony…are you okay?” Steve asked quietly.

Tony nodded quickly. “Yep.” He looked around again before looking directly at Steve.

“Can we get out of here, please?”

Steve nodded as he followed Tony who made sure to say goodbye to the appropriate people before quickly marching out of the lounge.

* * *

_A bit later back at Stark Tower…_

Happy had driven Steve and Tony back to the Tower. Tony had been completely silent in the car, and he continued to be equally silent in the elevator. Steve could tell something was bothering him, but he wasn’t sure how to approach it without upsetting Tony even more.

As the elevator doors opened into the penthouse, Tony quickly exited the elevator car to shed his jacket before walking briskly to the master bedroom.

“I’m tired and I hate board events.” Tony let out as he walked away from Steve, but was truly bothered by his interaction with Tiberius.

Steve jogged to catch up with him, but he expended little effort. “Me too.” He offered quietly in a reassuring tone as he followed Tony into the bedroom.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., lights.” Tony called, sitting on the edge of the bed. He sighed loudly to himself before yanking his tie off.

Steve waited near the door before joining Tony on the edge of the bed. He took a moment before addressing him again.

“Are you sure you’re all right, Tony? You’re quieter than usual.” He teased toward the end with a genuine smile.

Tony slowly nodded as he tried to smile back at Steve. “I’m fine. It’s just the board thing.” He half admitted.

He wasn’t sure if he should bring up the altercation with Tiberius; Tony didn’t want to talk about it or even think about it. However, seeing Tiberius reaffirmed why he was so bad at relationships and that this one with Steve was probably just doomed to fail like it had with Pepper.

_…call me when things with the soldier don’t work out…_

Tony quietly groaned to himself as he tried to unbutton his shirt. Steve nodded before kicking his shoes off. He unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt before shuffling up the bed to lie against the headboard while Tony lingered at the edge.

“Come here.” Steve said gently to Tony, resting his hands behind his head.

Tony turned somewhat to face Steve. He finished unbuttoning his shirt before shuffling up the bed to lie next to Steve who then pulled him close to his body.

Steve hugged Tony before turning to press him downward into the bed. He moved so that half his body was lying on top of Tony before kissing him. Tony kissed Steve back as best as he could, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Tiberius. Steve ran his hands up along Tony’s sides moaning quietly and Tony could feel his insides turning in on themselves again.

“God, Tony…” Steve breathed as he gripped Tony by the waist, pushing downward into his body.

Steve could feel Tony pushing back as they kissed, but something was still off; Tony felt distant.

But before Steve could confirm whether Tony was fine, Tony moved his head away from him.

“Steve, I’m sorry…I’m not really in the mood tonight…”

Steve looked downward at Tony before nodding. He then resettled himself to lie next to him.

“Okay, let’s get some sleep.” He turned his head to kiss Tony on the cheek before Tony sat up to finish undressing.

As Tony sat off the side of the bed to remove his shirt, he heard Steve exclaim “oh!” before laughing to himself.

“What?” Tony asked, confused by Steve’s slight change in manner.

Steve sat up in the bed before answering. “I meant to tell you this in the car, but one of the board members at the event thought Bucky and I were dating.” He continued to laugh.

Tony’s body froze much like it had when he first ran into Tiberius. His mind then reeled with other possible scenarios that could have happened between Steve and Bucky, now thinking back to when Steve confessed to him that he had only been with one guy.

Tony wrenched his body around to face Steve. “_What?_” He asked again in a low voice, markedly different from his first “what”.

Steve smiled as he sat up straight in the bed. "One of the board members at the event—”

“—no, I heard that part,” Tony turned around fully to glare at Steve, “you seem more than fine with such a _huge_ misunderstanding.”

Steve winced before he responded. To Tony, it was obvious that Steve was trying to choose his words carefully, but he didn’t feel like hearing what he had to say that could possibly explain such a misunderstanding.

“You’re fine when someone thinks you’re messing around with Bucky, but you flipped the fuck out when it was with me? Okay.” Tony ultimately concluded.

Steve remained silent, knowing that Tony was referring to the time Obadiah accused him of sleeping around with Tony before they got close. However, the sudden shift in Tony’s tone was jarring; he told himself to wait a moment or so before responding.

“…well,” Steve started, trying to figure out the best thing to say in order not to upset Tony more, “…it’s different with me and Bucky…” He tried cautiously.

Tony grimaced. “What do you mean?” He answered sharply.

“…well,” Steve looked away from Tony before facing him again, “you’re my employer, Tony…of course it’s different…” And to Steve it was different; he had been embarrassed that people thought he was capable of something that was completely antithetical to his character. It had nothing to do with Tony, but he wasn’t sure how to articulate that.

Tony stared at Steve as if he had sprouted a third eye, but he remained quiet. Steve could tell that he was already offended by his reasoning.

Steve inhaled deeply as he attempted to salvage the conversation before it escalated. “…I was too concerned with what people may think about me possibly sleeping with my employer who just so happens to be older than me—”

“Wait, time out,” Tony physically crossed his hands to mime a time-out sign as he interrupted Steve, “you think it’s because I’m _old_?” He then used both hands to gesture toward himself.

Steve waited again, realizing that he had unintentionally upset Tony even more. “I didn’t say you were old, Tony.” He then shuffled a bit so that he could face Tony more directly, “I said you were older than me. Also, that’s not the point. The point is that you’re my employer.”

Tony wagged a finger at Steve. “Don’t forget the 'old' bit. You squeezed that part in nicely.” He then jumped off and away from the bed.

Steve scooted to the middle of the bed. “Tony, come on. You know that’s not what I meant.” He watched Tony walk to the end of the bed.

As soon as Tony reached his intended destination, he stopped to glare at Steve who was now sitting up in the middle of the bed.

“I’ve never slept with Bucky, okay?” Steve shook his head a few times, confused by the argument they were having, “I don’t know why you’re so upset about something that never and won’t happen.”

Tony crossed his arms. “Have you at least thought about it?”

He watched Steve hesitate before answering. Steve looked away from Tony, dreading his reaction.

“Well, maybe once…”

Tony made a small noise of disbelief. “Recently?”

Steve’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Were you thinking about him just now when you were all over me?” Tony pointed to the bed, referring to Steve trying to initiate sex before calling it a night.

“Tony, are you serious? No.” Steve answered as sternly as possible.

Tony shook his head; he told himself that Steve wasn’t telling the truth. “I don’t believe you.”

Steve was too shocked at this point to contribute to the conversation. “You know what? I should probably leave. I’ll take a cab or car service of some kind or whatever.” He knew that he would end up saying something wrong; he needed some time to clear his head before talking to Tony about something he shouldn’t be concerned over.

Steve swung his legs out from the bed. He leaned forward to retrieve his shoes before straightening up to exit the bedroom, but before he could, Tony stuck out an arm to stop him.

“Wait. Let me drive you home at least…” Tony offered quietly.

Steve moved away from Tony’s arm as he glared at him. “Really, you’re not even going to stop me to talk?”

Tony rested both hands on his hips. “What do you want me to say, Steve?”

“You know what,” Steve sighed before looking away from Tony, “you got a lot of nerve giving me a hard time when you still see Pepper, Tony.”

Tony’s eyes grew wide from not only the sudden change in Steve’s tone but also his unexpected mentioning of Pepper.

Steve relaxed as he realized that his tone caught Tony off guard. “I don’t have an issue with Pepper, Tony. I actually really enjoy her company…” He sighed before settling to stand directly in front of the bed as Tony faced him from the door, “…the point is that the two of you used to date, but now you’re friends. I’ve never gotten physical with Bucky, but I can’t be trusted? That makes absolutely no sense and you know it.”

Steve lingered before trying to walk past Tony to the bedroom door, but Tony held out his arm again; he would only let go if it felt like Steve sincerely wanted him to let go.

“Steve…hold on…” Tony sighed as he eventually let his arm drop, but Steve stood in place.

Steve crossed his arms as he glared at Tony. “What, Tony?”

Tony groaned as he ran a hand through his hair a few times before shrugging. He shuffled back and forth on his feet, trying to decide on what to say next: should he apologize? But then he wouldn’t find out the truth about Steve and Bucky because he knew Steve was keeping something from him. There was no way Steve was this nice and reasonable.

“Tony?” Steve repeated, still staring.

Tony sighed once more, looking downward and away before looking up at Steve. “Just…just be honest with me…please…”

Steve huffed as he rested his hands on his hips. He was so confused by Tony’s abrupt change; he had no idea why he was being blindsided like this.

“Tony, I can’t believe you’re doing this right now…”

Tony sighed before walking away from the door. He walked over to the other side of the bed, facing away from Steve, trying to figure out something to say. He knew running into Tiberius had set off this whole chain reaction, but there was something off about Steve musing about Bucky after having been so freaked out that people thought they were messing around when they started working together.

“Tony?” Tony heard Steve repeat once more behind him.

There had to be something going on and now Tony was sure of it. He just wished Steve would be honest with him.

“Uh…” Tony began, feeling that sharp pain in his chest, “maybe you should go home…” He finally let out quietly.

Steve never verbally responded; all Tony could hear behind him was Steve wrestling around possibly putting his shoes on, the door open, then shut close, followed by footsteps down the hallway. Tony waited a second as he groaned to himself. He turned around to sit down on the edge of the bed, now fighting back a sob that had formed in the middle of his throat.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😉

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Belated-Birthday, Tony!

_A few days later…_

It was early in the evening and Tony was sitting in a nice, quiet restaurant with Pepper, still sulking over the fight he had with Steve the past weekend. Tony had made dinner plans with Pepper a while ago; part of him wanted to cancel, but he needed some sort of distraction from the argument with Steve and his lingering suspicion that Steve was possibly keeping something from him.

Before their argument, Tony had made plans to see Steve that night, but he figured those plans had been ruined by his rampant paranoia. During the work week, Tony had managed to avoid Steve by either working in his office or scheduling as many meetings as possible, yet Steve never made a move to reach out to Tony which was making him feel just as horrible as he did the last time he saw him.

“So, how are things going with Steve?” Pepper asked causally, obviously unaware that Tony and Steve hadn’t spoken to each other in days.

Tony rolled his eyes before crossing his arms. “Not great.” He shrugged.

Pepper expressed concern. “Why? What happened?”

Tony sighed; he really didn’t feel like talking about Steve, especially with Pepper. It just reminded him of his many failed past relationships.

_…call me when things with the soldier don’t work out…_

Tony winced as Tiberius’s omen popped into his head again.

“...we got into a huge fight…” Tony looked downward and away from Pepper.

“Over what?” Pepper asked softly. Tony could tell from her tone that she was sincere.

“…Steve’s best friend…I think he’s keeping something from me…” Tony slowly admitted.

“What would make you say that, Tony?”

Tony rolled his eyes again. “They’re super close…I don’t know…Steve could have anyone. I wouldn’t be shocked if they used to date or at least messed around in the past…”

Tony groaned as he put his head into his hands with his elbows on top the table. He felt a hand caress his arm.

“What would make you believe that, Tony?” Pepper rephrased quietly, “has Steve said or done anything that would lead you to believe that?”

Tony sighed before he took his time straightening up in his chair. “Steve told me that someone at the board event thought they were dating…”

Pepper shrugged. “So? I was also there, and I didn’t see anything.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Steve also told me that he thought about being with Bucky once.”

Pepper shrugged again. “Okay. And did he say he ever was?”

Tony groaned loudly. “No, but—”

Pepper waved Tony off before he could continue. “Tony, why do you do this to yourself? From what you’ve told me, it sounds like Steve has never given you a reason to think this way and you know how honest he is. Don’t you think he would have told you something like this by now, especially if it happened with a close friend?”

Tony sat back in his chair, a little taken aback by how assertive Pepper had been, so much so that he found it difficult to answer.

Pepper sighed. “You think you don’t deserve happiness, Tony, so you self-sabotage instead.” She explained as gently as possible although the words hit Tony as if he had fallen off a tall building before colliding with asphalt.

Tony shook his head before trying to counter. “I’m not self-sabotaging, Pep. I’m being cautious.”

Pepper shook her head as she leaned inward over the table. “No, Tony. Please listen to me. I care about you and I want to see you happy.”

Tony inhaled deeply before responding, but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say.

“Remember when,” Pepper began again, “I told you to talk things through whenever you can? You should be having that conversation with Steve right now instead of parsing through something that’s really nothing….”

Pepper reached out a hand which Tony accepted after taking a moment. “Steve’s allowed to be close to other people. You’re close with your friends. You’re close with me and we used to date. Is Steve weird about that?”

Tony shook his head with a heavy sigh; he felt so ridiculous. “No…”

Pepper conveyed that she understood Tony’s apprehension as she looked directly at him. “Then trust him when he says there’s nothing going on with his best friend.”

Tony nodded as he thought back to his interaction with Tiberius. “…Pep, I’m afraid I’m going to lose Steve…” He sighed loudly once more, “…I ran into Ty at the fucking event…” He let out before placing his head into his hands again.

“…I’m really sorry, Tony…” Pepper began, casting her eyes downward, “I didn’t know he received an invitation…”

Tony looked up at Pepper. “Obie sent him one, of course.” He looked away, “how the fuck I am going to make things work with Steve if I can’t even keep it together in front of Ty? I couldn’t even make things work with you, Pep, and you’re the most understanding person I know.”

Pepper inhaled deeply before answering. “You can make it work, Tony, by talking things through. I know how much you care about Steve. I can see that you two belong together…you just have to try.”

Tony looked away again before facing Pepper. Her expression was soft, and he could feel that she was doing her best to sympathize with his worries. He breathed deeply before peeking at his phone to see if he had received any messages from Steve. And of course, there was nothing.

“…you’re right…but he probably doesn’t want to talk to me now…” Tony relented, “we’ve been avoiding each other all week…”

Pepper shook her head. “Steve cares about you, Tony. He’ll talk…I bet he’s trying to give himself some time to have a productive conversation. You just need to give him the opportunity, okay?”

Tony stared at Pepper before slowly nodding. “Okay…I’ll call him when I get home tonight…”

Pepper smiled as she took Tony’s hand before caressing it. “Tony, it’ll be okay. Just talk things through, like I said.”

Tony nodded again as he let Pepper hold his hand a bit longer before their waiter walked over to take their food orders.

* * *

_  
Later that evening…_

As soon as the elevator doors opened into the penthouse, Tony threw his jacket on top of a statue. He groaned to himself as he retrieved his phone, looking at Steve’s contact profile while walking to the kitchen. He groaned once more as he reached the space, placing his phone on the island in the middle before stepping away, looking intently at it.

“Fuck it.” Tony let out as he walked over to pick up his phone. He tapped the call button to phone Steve.

“…please don’t pick up…please don’t pick up…” Tony wished to himself as he listened to the phone ring.

As soon as the ringing ceased, Tony’s breath hitched. “Hi, Tony.” Tony could hear the weary tone in Steve’s voice as he answered.

Tony inhaled sharply before responding. “Hey, are you free to talk?”

He waited with intense anticipation as Steve took his time answering. “On the phone or in person?”

“I would love to see you in person, if possible…but I understand if you don’t want to see me…”

“I think we should talk in person.” Steve answered sternly.

It felt like the pit of Tony’s stomach dropped to the kitchen floor; now he was worried that Steve was planning to end things with him yet respected him enough to do so in person.

_I do self-sabotage…_Tony blamed himself.

“Tony? Where should we meet?”

Tony took a moment. “Would…you like to come over here so we can have some privacy? Peter’s over at a friend’s tonight…”

The other end of the receiver went completely silent, so silent that Tony feared that Steve had hung up on him.

“Sure. I can be there in less than an hour.”

Tony’s breath hitched once more at the tone in Steve’s voice. “Okay, I’ll see you in a bit then.”

Tony waited before it became clear that Steve had ended the call. He nearly dropped his phone as he looked hurriedly around the kitchen, not really sure what to do next as he tried to process what he would say to Steve once they saw each other. Without really thinking, Tony ran to his bedroom, ruminating on whether he should change his clothes, but decided against it. Tony then jogged back to the kitchen, thinking he should probably prepare some sort of a snack plate for the two of them, but then decided against that as well, telling himself that such a move might make it look like he wasn’t taking the moment seriously.

As Tony’s mind and body whirled, trying to mentally prepare himself for his conversation with Steve, less than an hour had passed.

“Sir,” J.A.R.V.I.S. began, “Mr. Rogers is in the lobby.”

Tony yelped out loud, realizing that he had lost track of time. He whipped out his phone, tapping on his security app, seeing that Steve was indeed in the lobby. Tony pressed the button that allowed visitors to access the private express elevator before backing up against the kitchen island.

Tony could feel his chest restricting with pain again; he told himself to cool it, breathing deeply until he heard the elevator arrive.

Tony swallowed a lump in his throat before straightening himself out. He took a moment, walking as calmly as possible to the elevator.

As Tony approached, the doors opened to reveal Steve who also looked stressed and worn, however also seemingly managed to keep it together better than Tony.

“Hey, Rogers…” Tony shuffled around, trying to find something to fidget with, but his avant-garde statues were the only objects in reach.

“Hi, Tony.” Steve made a move to walk out into the space, but then he stopped short.

“…may I come in?” He asked cautiously.

Tony nodded emphatically as he ushered Steve in with his arms, stepping to the side. “Yes, of course.”

Steve nodded as he walked into the foyer, taking off his jacket before folding it over one arm.

“I can take that for you, if you want.” Tony held out a hand for the jacket.

“Thanks, Tony.” Steve handed Tony his jacket as he walked ahead of him a bit.

“Why don’t we talk in the kitchen?” Tony looked around for somewhere to hang Steve’s jacket on, but ultimately ended up stringing it along one of the statues.

Tony shrugged before following Steve into the kitchen, making sure to stay a foot or two behind. Steve entered the kitchen, walking to the island before leaning against it. Tony stopped at the threshold of the entrance to the kitchen, leaning against the archway with his arms crossed.

“Uh, thanks for coming over…” Tony started. He uncrossed his arms before placing his hands on his hips.

Steve nodded as he crossed his arms. He looked downward and away from Tony before looking up.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Tony walked over to the refrigerator before Steve could answer him, hoping this would give him more time to formulate his thoughts.

“Water’s fine.” Steve answered quietly.

Tony nodded as he kept his back facing Steve, finding two clean glasses before pouring water into them. He closed his eyes tightly, counting to three. He then turned around to walk the glasses over to Steve, holding out a glass for Steve who accepted it with a half-smile.

Tony turned around to perch himself against a counter facing the island and Steve, taking another moment; he knew he needed to stop stalling and get to the point.

“Steve, I’m really sorry…” Tony looked down at the water glass he was holding, “…I shouldn’t have assumed anything about your relationship with Bucky without speaking to you first…”

Steve nodded before taking a deep breath. “It’s my fault…I don’t think I’ve ever really explained to you how much Bucky means to me, but it’s purely platonic, Tony…”

Tony looked up at Steve; he was sure Steve could read how shocked he was, thinking Steve was only there to end things between them.

“…we had always been close, but there was a brief time in my life, when Bucky and I were in college, that I thought our relationship was something more since we’re so close…” Steve shrugged.

“I kind of feel stupid saying this out loud, but remember when I told you I’ve never had a serious relationship before Peggy? And I’m not that great when it comes to dating, so…needless to say I mixed up signals between Bucky and I…” Steve inhaled deeply.

“Don’t feel stupid, Steve…I’ve done that so many times…” Tony smiled weakly at Steve.

Steve nodded. “But besides that one time, that’s it, Tony. I don’t want to be with Bucky. He’s like a brother to me…”

Tony nodded as it became clear that Steve was finished. He inhaled painfully before letting out a ragged exhale. Of course, Steve and Bucky were close; they grew up together, went to college together, served in the army.

_Pepper was right…he’s allowed to be close to other people…_Tony reminded himself.

He looked up at Steve again who appeared to be waiting for him to contribute. Tony sighed as he placed his glass on the counter behind him.

“I get that, Steve. I’m so sorry for accusing you of keeping something from me…”

Steve smiled a little at Tony, but then his expression changed slightly as he hung his head, looking at his glass. Tony shuffled around, knowing he needed to be honest with Steve about running into Tiberius at the board event. He knew that seeing Tiberius had triggered all of his usual dating/relationship insincerities and he just hoped that Steve wouldn’t be upset with him.

“Steve…” Tony started, wringing his hands, “I should have told you this instead of giving you a hard time about Bucky…”

Steve nodded as he waited for Tony to continue.

Tony sighed as he tried to mentally craft his next sentence. “I ran into an ex at the event…actually that guy I told you about…”

Steve nodded again, but slowly this time. He looked to be ruminating over the information.

“Nothing happened…I…just wanted to let you know…” Tony looked downward before looking up at Steve, grimacing.

Steve crossed his arms. “Thank you for telling me, Tony.”

Tony stared Steve as his mouth bobbed open a few times with disbelief. “Uh, you’re not upset?”

Steve sighed as he looked downward before looking directly at Tony. “To be honest…I kind of wished you had said something earlier…”

Tony nodded as he readjusted his stance. “I’m so sorry, Steve…”

Steve’s jaw hardened as he looked intently at Tony. “Tony…” He slowly pushed himself away from the island as he approached Tony. He stopped short as he crossed his arms, “…you gotta talk to me…that’s the only way this will work…”

Tony felt that weird sob in his throat as he watched Steve walk toward him. He felt like running away; the feeling between them made him feel too exposed and he could feel the dull sensation in his chest again.

As soon as Steve finally met Tony, he reached out his hands, rubbing Tony’s arms as tenderly as possible. Tony choked on the sob he tried to will away before letting Steve pull him into a hug.

“I’m really sorry, Steve…” Tony whispered.

Steve nodded as he held onto Tony, and Tony squeezed him back through the hug.

Tony coughed before looking up at Steve. “Uh, would you like to stay over? I know it’s a weeknight and all, but—”

Steve interrupted Tony with a kiss. “I definitely want to. I miss you, Tony.”

Tony moaned quietly as he felt Steve squeeze his waist gently. They kissed each other in this position for some time, taking their time as if they hadn’t seen each other in ages.

Tony moved his head slightly away to address Steve. “You wanna go to bed now?” He asked, although he didn’t sound as confident as he typically did.

Steve nodded as he kissed Tony once more before Tony led them to his bedroom. As they entered the room, Tony kissed Steve, dragging him to the bed. The force of the pull caused Steve to fall on top of him, but they hardly missed a beat as they continued to make out, the energy between the two of them becoming more passionate with every move.

“Steve…” Tony whispered as he let Steve hug him close to his body before scooting the two of them up the bed to lie completely flat, with Tony now on top of Steve.

Tony moaned again as he felt Steve’s hand travel underneath his shirt, rubbing the top half of his body before Steve began yanking the shirt off. Tony sat up to let Steve tug his shirt off, now basically straddling Steve’s lap. Steve wrapped one hand around Tony to lie him back down on the bed on his back. Tony pushed upward into his body with both legs drawn up against Steve’s sides.

Steve pushed downward as his hands traveled up Tony’s torso then his chest, rubbing both of his nipples. Steve kissed Tony deeply before moving his head to lick one of Tony’s nipples. Tony couldn’t help himself as he moaned even louder, feeling Steve’s tongue swirl around slowly against his skin.

Tony gasped as he used both hands to hug Steve’s neck, drawing him close to his chest. He could now feel Steve’s hand near his crotch, fumbling a bit with the zipper on his pants. Tony chuckled as he unzipped himself for Steve before tugging on the hem of Steve’s shirt.

Steve straightened up to yank off his shirt before he went back to rubbing Tony’s crotch with one hand as the other kept feeling Tony’s chest. Steve moaned quietly as he slid a hand into Tony’s briefs, feeling around before tilting his chin up to kiss Tony.

Tony gasped again as he felt Steve touch him. He wiggled, now trying to remove his pants. Steve stopped touching Tony to pull his pants off. He then unzipped his own pants, trying to remove them with ease as he had seen Tony done before, but he struggled to get out them, almost falling over on the bed.

Tony laughed as he helped Steve tug his pants off. “Oh my god, how are you this sexy trying to undress?” He teased.

Steve blushed as he let Tony pull him downward for a kiss. Steve laid down on top of him, rubbing Tony’s cock through the fabric of his briefs. Tony moaned as he felt Steve then push downward into his body, rubbing his hard cock against his.

“Fuck, Steve…” Tony moaned as he grabbed Steve’s ass and squeezed.

Steve pushed downward even more before moving a hand to slip underneath the band of Tony’s briefs. He pulled the fabric down before doing the same with his own, rubbing Tony with his body.

Steve kissed Tony before tilting his head back a bit. “Tony, is it okay…if we…” He started.

Tony kissed him, aware that Steve was trying to ask him to fuck him again. He laughed but managed to do so without frustrating Steve.

“You wanna fuck me?” Tony asked with a grin before kissing Steve, biting his bottom lip.

Steve nodded quickly as he kissed Tony back. Tony hummed quietly as he let Steve kiss his neck, pushing more into his body.

Tony moved his head to face the direction of his bedside table. “You know what to do.” He teased again.

Steve’s face flushed a little but then he reached over to grab the lube from the table drawer, managing to do so without toppling over. As soon as Steve retrieved the tube of lube, he looked at Tony then the tube. Tony laughed as he took the tube from Steve, squirting some lube onto his hand before doing the same to Steve. He grinned upward at Steve before reaching down to rub the lube on Steve’s cock. Steve moaned and nearly fell over on top of Tony from the sensation.

“Feel me, baby.” Tony whispered as he kept rubbing Steve.

Steve nodded as he reached down Tony’s body, feeling Tony’s hard cock before rubbing more vigorously. Tony chuckled as he shook his head.

“No, further.” He said with a huge grin.

Steve stared at Tony realizing that he was asking him to feel his ass. Steve repositioned himself slowly taking his time moving his hand past Tony’s cock. Tony lifted his body somewhat slowly, moving side to side to get more comfortable. Steve ran his hand along Tony’s skin taking his time until he felt puckering. Tony moaned again, the way he did the last time Steve fucked him. Steve kept going, feeling the outside of Tony before rubbing with the lube.

“Use your fingers, baby.” Tony whispered.

Steve nodded, sticking one finger into Tony as he looked down at him. Tony was looking up at him, moaning quietly. Steve pushed into him further, feeling around before easing up. He felt himself getting hard from just touching Tony like this.

Steve eased in another finger; his motions were picking up pace causing Tony to moan even more. Steve could feel his cock twitch with anticipation as he listened to Tony moan and squirm on his fingers. He kept watching, rapt by the scene.

“I want you, Steve. I wanna feel you.” Tony whispered as he continued to moan.

Steve nodded as he pulled his fingers out which prompted a gasp from Tony. Tony moved to lie completely flat as Steve leaned forward. He pulled Tony’s body toward his, lifting him a little to get a better position.

He guided his cock toward Tony, easing himself in as much as possible but being mindful of not going too far before Tony settled on him.

Tony chuckled to himself as he waited for Steve. “You can go a little bit harder, Rogers.”

Steve breathed deeply as he held onto Tony. “Tony, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Steve, how many times do I have to remind you that I’ve been around the block a few times?” Tony had meant for the statement to sound lighthearted, but it didn’t play well with Steve who let go of him before straightening up. Tony made a whiny noise because obviously the mood was possibly ruined.

“Tony, I don’t want to hear that.”

Tony propped himself up onto his elbows. “You are aware that I’m nowhere _close_ to being a virgin, right?”

Steve groaned. “Tony, please! Stop that.” He nearly exclaimed which caught Tony off guard.

“It’s not that you’ve been with other people before, I know that, Tony.” Steve was now sitting back on his heels with his hands on his hips, “it’s the way you talk about yourself like you were the town tramp.”

Tony sat up straight in the bed. Steve sighed. “If I had known you when you were my age—”

“While not illegal, would have definitely been morally uncouth, Rogers.” Tony tried to get Steve to loosen up with a grin, but it was obvious that the conversation had taken a serious turn.

“Tony, you know what I mean. I wouldn’t have chased you for your money or fame. I wouldn’t have treated you poorly…”

“I probably would have ignored you then, Rogers.” Tony scooted closer toward Steve to wrap his arms around his waist. “I’m glad I met you now. Yeah, my past was pretty wild and I’m amazed that I came out more or less okay, but I wasn’t ready to be with someone like you…”

Steve nodded as he let Tony hold onto him. Tony looked up at him with a smile.

“I’m sorry, I won’t joke like that in front of you. I didn’t realize it upset you so much…”

Steve nodded again as Tony kissed him. He eased as he kissed Tony back, repositioning them back onto the bed.

“We can go to bed if you want…” Tony whispered.

Steve shook his head. “No, I miss you, Tony.”

Tony inhaled as Steve kissed him, moving their bodies back to their positions from before. Steve held onto Tony’s legs as he let Tony rub his cock. He gasped as he felt himself getting hard, rocking forward into Tony’s hand.

Steve rocked forward for a second or so before taking a hold of his cock to enter Tony. Tony inhaled sharply as Steve entered; he nearly fell over on top of Tony from the feeling.

Steve pushed into his body, taking his time before going faster. Tony moaned and squirmed underneath him, letting Steve push more into his body.

Steve held onto one of Tony’s legs as he held it against his body, using his other hand to feel the rest of Tony’s body.

Steve groaned as he could feel himself nearing the edge, looking down at Tony who was now rubbing himself. Steve leaned forward to kiss Tony, before straightening up to hump his body as fast as possible, the feeling overtaking him as Steve could feel that he was about to come.

Tony appeared to be on the edge as well because his body began to shake as he rubbed himself before coming on himself and Steve. Steve leaned forward, holding onto Tony as he came inside, his movements sped up before they slowed down. He laid on top of Tony before sliding to the side, panting.

“Jesus Christ…” Was all Tony could manage.

Steve smiled as he turned to kiss him. Tony let Steve kiss him a few times before kissing him back. They both then turned onto their backs to stare up at the ceiling.

“So, makeup sex is really hot between the two of us.” Tony exhaled after a moment.

Steve laughed again, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I’m about to agree with you.”

Tony sat up in the bed, laughing loudly. He hopped off it before walking to the bathroom. “I’m going to wash off, wanna join me?” He asked, smirking at Steve.

Steve turned his head to look at Tony. He laughed again before getting off the bed to follow Tony into the bathroom.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😏

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, I hope everyone is taking care of themselves.

_The following week…_

_Goddammit…_Tony cursed to himself as he walked past a chatty group of undergraduate students standing outside one of the labs encased in frosted glass.

Quite some time ago, in an effort to promote new research, the Stark Industries board had implemented a series of programs opened to the public that involved bringing student group tours through the labs, especially university students studying technology-related degrees. Usually Tony would participate, but he thought lately, considering there were employees attempting to sabotage Synergy, the program wasn’t a good idea; continuing the public programming was only distracting as well as a potential security threat. Also, the team was still trying to track down Loki.

As Tony approached his lab, he spotted a smaller figure with its back facing the glass façade fiddling around with one of the main consoles. Tony swore to himself again, jogging toward the entrance of the lab as he recognized that the figure looked like a wayward student.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?” Tony demanded as he entered the lab.

“Welcome back, Sir.” J.A.R.V.I.S. greeted as normal.

Tony waved the computer off as he watched the intruder slowly turn around, immediately recognizing the mechanical engineering undergrad he had met at Steve’s graduation from a while back.

Riri held her hands up and smiled nervously. “Hey, Mr. Stark…”

Tony crossed his arms, expressing curiosity. “Riri, right? How did you get into my lab?”

With a nod, Riri lowered her arms at the same pace she had risen them, looking guilty. “I would check on your access codes, whoever installed them…they were easy to bypass…”

Tony huff with an amused laugh as he pointed to himself. “_I’m_ the one who installed the access codes. And you need a high-level security pass to get in here, last time I checked.”

Riri looked even more guilty than before. Tony waved her apprehension off with a smile to indicate that he was not offended.

“You know, not even my best scientists can get into this lab.” He added as he crossed his arms, grinning.

The unexpected compliment caused Riri to look more cheerful than before. She straightened up a bit as it became clear that she wasn’t in trouble.

Tony kept grinning as he walked over to the nearest console, motioning for Riri to follow him.

“Any interests in a super-secret Tony Stark tour?”

Riri nodded enthusiastically as she jogged over to join Tony at the console.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., show me the specs to the Synergy device, please.” Tony called.

Riri gasped with delight as a holographic image of the device appeared above the console.

Tony motioned toward the image. “Go ahead.”

Riri looked at Tony before looking back at the image, hesitating before reaching out to manipulate the image with her fingers.

“Wow, this is so awesome!” Riri responded as she continued to swirl around the image.

Tony chuckled before walking to the other side of the lab. He pressed a button on a panel below a console to reveal the chip embedded with the failsafe codes to the Synergy device. He typed in a code before retrieving the chip from the panel. He then turned around with the chip to show to Riri.

“Okay, you definitely need to keep _this _a secret.”

Riri nodded slowly as she approached Tony who held the chip out for her to take. She looked at Tony before carefully taking the chip.

Riri turned the chip around and around in the palm of her hand. “Uh, it’s like a key, isn’t it?” She looked up at Tony, inquisitively.

Tony expressed confusion at the question. “Like a key?”

But before Riri could explain, her phone rang Beyoncé’s “I Miss You” on the loudest volume possible. Riri took her phone out of her coat pocket before tapping on it a few times.

“Oh man! Sorry, Mr. Stark, I gotta go!” She handed Tony the chip back.

“Okay, well,” Tony started as Riri waved at him as she quickly exited the lab, “nice seeing you again! And great song by the way!”

Tony watched Riri wave at him again from outside the lab as she sprinted down the corridor. He then turned around to place the chip in a small carrying case before placing it into his work bag.

_A key…? _He thought to himself.

“Sir,” J.A.R.V.I.S. began, “you have a meeting with the Synergy team in a few minutes.”

Tony clapped his hands together, grabbing his work bag before sprinting out of the lab, now focused on the tasks he needed to complete for the day. He pulled out his phone as he jogged, scrolling through his calendar to look at any important upcoming dates.

Tony whistled to himself before stopping suddenly; he had scrolled to a date that made his heart sink, realizing that the trip to his family’s house in the Hamptons was fast approaching. But instead of dwelling on it, Tony told himself to cool it, squeezing his eyes shut, counting to ten, before taking off down the corridor to get to his meeting.

* * *

_A bit later…_

“I once heard Loki mention someplace called Jotunheim…”

In one of the nicer conference rooms, the team listened to Thor explain his brother’s possible whereabouts. Thor was standing at the front while everyone else was sitting in a chair surrounding the conference table.

Thor leaned forward to place his hands on the edge of the table. “I haven’t spoken with him since he left Stark Industries…I heard that they had taken him to a police station, but someone else paid for his bail before I could get there…he also hasn’t been answering his phone….but I am sure I will find him at Jotunheim…”

“And,” Clint glanced quickly around the room, “what _is _Jotunheim?”

Thor sighed heavily. “It is some hangout spot. It is supposed to be ‘hip’, so I am told.”

Clint chuckled. “Must not be that great because I’ve never heard of it.” He then yelped dramatically as Natasha reached over to pinch him on the shoulder.

“Hey! I was just in the hospital!” Clint whined.

Tony motioned toward Thor. “Whatever the fuck it is, we need to get in. What do you know, Thor?”

Thor sighed once more. “I know that the owners usually hold gatherings—”

“—_parties_, Thor.” Clint interrupted with an eye roll, “no wonder you haven’t been invited.”

He yelped again as Natasha pinched his shoulder a second time.

“Hey! I just said I was _just_ in the hospital.” Clint grimaced as he rubbed his shoulder.

Tony rubbed his chin as he proceeded to ignore Clint. “When are these shindigs, Thor?”

Thor crossed his arms. “I think they’re toward the end of the month. Maybe a Friday or a Saturday?”

Steve leaned forward in his chair. “You think Loki will be in the mood to go to one of these things after having been arrested?”

Thor nodded. “Of course. My brother lives for drama.”

“Wednesdays.” Clint added, leaning back in the chair he was already lounging in. Everyone in the room turned to stare at him directly.

“If the place is hip, it’ll be on a Wednesday. Cool people don’t like mixing with the crowds during the weekends; college kids drink on Thursdays; and Wednesdays are the middle of the week, which means it’s almost over. Seems like something a hipster would come up with.” Clint sneered.

Everyone continued to stare at Clint before looking back at Thor.

“You know what,” Tony started, “I think Barton has a point.”

Clint snorted as he pulled out his phone to tap on it a few times. “How did you guys manage to make it when I was in the hospital?”

Natasha reached over to pinch him one last time, grinning in the process. Clint yelped as he nearly jumped out of his chair.

“Well, I can see I’m not appreciated.” He responded, but Natasha only laughed at his expense.

“Okay, Rogers,” Tony pointed at Steve, “you and Thor are going to go to this thing next Wednesday then. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find Loki.”

Both Steve and Thor nodded.

“Earlier in the week we have the simulation presentation for the board, so please be ready for that.” Tony commanded to everyone else.

The group mumbled collectively in the affirmative before people began to exit the room. Tony stayed near the front.

“Rogers, hang back for a second.”

Tony gathered his things as he waited for the others to shuffle out of the conference room. He then walked up to Steve, leaning against the table with his arms crossed, smiling.

“You know, we should really stop meeting like this.” Steve grinned as Tony settled.

Tony chuckled. “I’m beginning to think that we’re spending too much time together, but honestly it’s about Synergy.”

Steve nodded as he waited for Tony to continue.

“I want to keep you in the loop with everything that’s happening with the device. It’s only right since you’re the one who works with it the most.”

Tony uncrossed his arms to retrieve something from his back pocket. To Steve, it looked like a computer chip encased in a small glass container, but it was a little too big. Tony handed the chip to Steve. Steve hesitated before accepting it, not entirely sure what he had been given.

“This chip has the failsafe codes embedded in it. I want you to be in charge of it.” Tony explained quietly.

Steve looked at the chip before looking back up at Tony. “Are you sure? Why not Dr. Banner?”

Tony waved his hand before crossing his arms again. “I trust Bruce, but I know you’ll know when to use the chip when the time comes.” Steve must have expressed that he was confused by the decision because Tony rolled his eyes before grinning to ease his concern.

“If it’ll make you feel any better, I’m asking you as your team leader, and not as—well you know.” Tony continued to smile which finally settled Steve.

Steve turned the chip around in the palm of his hand. “Okay, thank you for the confidence, Tony.” He smiled to convey that he was sincere.

Tony pointed toward the chip in Steve’s hand before walking around the conference table to retrieve his work bag.

“It would be best to commit those to memory, and only use the chip in dire situations, but let’s not hope it comes to that.”

Steve nodded as he watched Tony pack up his things. He then looked up at Steve with a coy expression.

“Now speaking as—well you know.” Tony grinned.

Steve smiled, fully knowing what Tony was referring to.

“We have an hour,” Tony continued, “before we really need to do some work, if you’re interested.”

Steve looked downward before looking up at Tony; his smile was half shy, half intrigued. “Tony, you just gave me an important assignment and that’s all you can think about?”

Tony laughed as he slung his work bag over his shoulder. “Of course, that’s all I can think about. You’re becoming quite the distraction, Rogers.” He motioned for Steve to follow him out of the conference room.

Steve smiled back at Tony as he walked with him side by side down the corridor. Both looked at each other before looking away, and Steve noticed that Tony’s face had also turned a shade of red from the attention.

“Hopefully not too much of a distraction.” Steve teased.

Tony chuckled before reaching out a hand to stop Steve, turning somewhat to address him more directly.

“You know what…” Tony started as his voice grew quieter, “you can help me with something that is more work-related…”

Steve stood in place as he watched Tony walk toward their lab, puzzled by the suggestive tone in Tony's voice.

* * *

_Back in the lab…_

“Tony, I look absolutely ridiculous.”

Not long after, Tony and Steve were back in their lab. Tony was leaning up against a table, arms crossed, as he watched Steve parade in front of him, modeling a pair of the team’s new safety uniforms.

“I think you look great.” Steve had turned to see that Tony was trying to keep a straight face.

Steve could feel his face turn red as he rested his hands on his hips. “I think they might be a little too flashy.”

Tony rolled his eyes as he pushed himself away from the table, approaching Steve. “It’s called style, Rogers. Who doesn’t want to look good while also saving the planet? You and Banner have poor taste.”

Steve sighed as he crossed his arms. “I feel like this one is too tight.” He could feel himself becoming even more uncomfortable as the suit even more accentuated his build every time he moved.

Tony grinned as he inched closer to Steve. He held a hand out but then kept it to himself. “It’s not tight enough in my humble opinion.”

Steve groaned. He wanted to get out of the suit as quickly as possible.

“You know,” Tony began as he continued to leer at Steve, “one of my fantasies, when you’re not lying naked in bed next to me, is thinking about you in uniform…”

The comment made Steve’s face flush even more. Tony laughed as he patted him on the arm before turning around to look at projection of the uniform.

“Sorry, too graphic. Must keep it professional.” Tony joked, which strangely eased Steve.

“The great thing about these uniforms is that I can wire J.A.R.V.I.S. to them. So, you have all the essentials: GPS tracker, hardware and software specs, etc. Also, the suits play music. Can’t possible do Synergy work without great bops, am I right?”

Steve listened to Tony ramble on about the suits as he smiled to himself. The past week, he felt himself becoming more comfortable being with Tony which meant he found himself becoming more comfortable with Tony’s sense of humor, especially when it verged on the sexual side.

And now thinking about Tony thinking about him in uniform made Steve muse on something he had fantasized about once or twice but felt too silly until now to mention something to Tony.

As Tony explained how the suits were also temperature controlled, Steve took his time approaching him from behind. Steve inhaled then exhaled deeply as he slowly rubbed Tony’s arms from behind.

“Actually, I have a fantasy of my own…” He started.

Tony turned around slowly, grinning as he waited for Steve to elaborate. “Oh yeah?”

Steve nodded, looking away before looking back at Tony. “…sometimes I think about you calling me Captain…”

Tony’s eyes widened. “Fuck me.” He gasped before attacking Steve’s lips with his own.

Steve slid both arms around Tony’s waist, nearly knocking them into the table. They made out for a moment before Tony broke away from Steve’s grasp.

“I’m taking my lunch break now.” Tony said with a wink, untangling himself from Steve before breaking out into a sprint toward the entrance of the lab.

Steve laughed as he followed him. “Only makes sense that we’re on the same schedule.”

Both Tony and Steve raced each other to the private express elevator. As soon as Tony scanned his fingerprints for access, Steve pushed him up against the back wall of the elevator shaft. They made out as the elevator flew past the floors before reaching Tony’s penthouse.

As soon as it stopped, Steve and Tony almost fell out into the foyer before running toward Tony’s bedroom. Steve grabbed Tony by the waist again as they entered, pulling them down onto the bed. Tony kissed Steve as he tried to remove his uniform, but the intensity between the two made him fumble.

“Fuck,” Tony swore as he pushed Steve up from his body then pulled him back down, “these are too difficult to open.”

Steve laughed as he straightened up, finding the anti-lock to the zipper Tony had installed to keep the uniforms snug. He unzipped himself before Tony pulled the uniform down to Steve’s waist. The force of the pull caused Steve to fall back on top of Tony who caught him with a laugh.

Steve laid down on top of Tony who then pushed upward, letting his hands travel down the length of Steve’s backside. Steve moaned as he pushed sharply down into Tony’s body. They kissed each other before Tony turned his head to the side to address Steve.

“You’ve definitely had multiple orgasms before, right?”

Steve tilted his head up and away from Tony. He couldn’t help himself from expressing how confused and a little embarrassed he was by the question.

“You manage to get hard quick again after doing it. Quicker than I’ve ever seen.” Tony ended with a grin.

Steve swallowed. “Um, no…”

Tony straightened up as best as he could to gawk at Steve. “You’ve _never_ had multiple orgasms in one setting before?”

Steve shook his head, still trying to understand what Tony was asking him. “Of course not, Tony. Isn’t that…physically impossible?”

Tony stared at Steve before laughing loudly. Steve laid down next to him, his face turning red as Tony turned to face him, still laughing.

“Not only is it physically possible, it’s _fucking _amazing.” Tony grinned at Steve, reaching out a hand to caress Steve’s side.

Steve stared at Tony, not entirely sure what he could add to the conversation, while still trying to wrap his head around the possibility of experiencing multiple orgasms.

Tony laughed again but this time it was subdued as Steve could tell that he had picked up on his apprehension.

“You wanna try it, Captain Rogers?” Tony asked, smiling widely at Steve.

Although Steve’s face flushed even more from the offer, he could feel a tingly sensation in his body as he mulled over the idea. Sex with Tony was great, but the thought of having more than one orgasm right after the other with Tony was something he couldn’t possibly pass up. Also, Steve knew that Tony would take his time with him like he usually did and would stop if there were any sign that he was uncomfortable.

Steve nodded slowly with a timid smile. “Uh, sure?”

Tony chuckled before turning over on his other side to find the lube in the bedside table. He turned back over to face Steve.

“Okay, so have you ever been fingered before?” He asked.

Steve swallowed as he shook his head. “Uh, n-no.”

Tony smiled before reaching over to caress Steve’s side. “It’ll be easy for you to peek if I finger you first then make you come later…” He looked down the length of Steve’s body before looking directly at him. Steve’s eyes widened as he only nodded.

“The trick is,” Tony continued as he rested a hand on Steve’s ass to turn him over slightly, pulling his suit down more, “not to ejaculate all over the place the first time. Then you can the second time. It’s more a feeling than anything else.”

Steve let Tony turn him over. He felt his body rock downward into the mattress as he felt Tony caress his backside.

“But it’s totally okay if you splooge right away. Practicing is just one of the fun parts.” Tony smiled at Steve who made a face at the word “splooge”. Tony leaned inward to kiss him on the cheek before climbing on top of him to straddle his legs.

Tony squirted some lube into the palm of his hand. “Also, let me know when or if you want to stop. It feels weird at first, but trust me, if you like it, you’ll be begging me to touch you like this always.”

Steve could tell from the sound in Tony’s voice that he was grinning downward at him. He inhaled deeply as he nodded, still feeling his body rock into the bed. He felt Tony rocking on top of him before squeezing his ass which caused Steve to suck in an air of breath.

Tony laughed. “Steve, relax” He then leaned forward to whisper into Steve’s ear, “…but we can stop if you want…”

Steve shook his head as best as he could considering that he was lying face down. His breath hitched as he felt Tony grab his ass again before squeezing it. He heard Tony squirt more lube into his hand. He felt Tony rub his body a few times before he felt a hand drawing nearer. Steve squeezed his eyes shut as he felt Tony rub him a little with the tip of his finger.

“You gotta relax, baby. It’ll hurt if you don’t.” Tony said quietly.

Steve nodded again as he tried to unclench his muscles. As he felt Tony continue to rub his body, he reminded himself of how patient Tony had always been with him which eased Steve even more. He then felt the tip of Tony’s finger rub him before entering slowly.

Steve let out a gasp as the finger entered further, eventually hitting a spot he had never felt before and it sent a rush throughout his body.

Steve moaned as Tony continued to finger him; he felt himself losing control as Tony slid the finger in and out of his body. As the feeling intensified, Steve couldn’t help himself from rubbing vigorously against the mattress, moaning louder than he had ever before. He could feel Tony rubbing his body with one hand while the other continued in and out.

“…Tony…” Steve whispered, clenching the side of a pillow.

He didn’t know how much longer he could take; the sensation was more than he could handle as he felt himself coming to the brink.

“Tony…” Steve panted, “I don’t think I can last much longer…sorry…”

Tony laughed before easing Steve onto his side as he removed his finger. He rubbed Steve’s chest, unzipping his own pants, before leaning forward, rubbing Steve’s now exposed cock a few times before using his mouth, taking his time feeling Steve with his tongue.

Steve bucked upwards into Tony’s mouth, now feeling ready to give in. He ran a hand through Tony’s hair, looking down to see that Tony was rubbing himself while he sucked his cock.

Steve closed his eyes as he neared the edge, letting out a gasp as he came into Tony’s mouth. Tony waited before straightening up, lying down on top of Steve before rubbing himself against Steve’s body. Steve pushed upward into Tony, gripping his body as tight as he could without hurting him. Tony kissed Steve on the cheek as he came, groaning loudly as he placed both hands on either side of Steve.

Steve held onto him before Tony slid off to lie next to him. “Sorry, Tony.” Steve repeated, shielding his eyes with one hand as he tried to catch his breath.

Tony chuckled. “Why are you sorry? Didn’t it feel great?”

Steve turned his head somewhat to look at Tony. “Also,” Tony continued with a grin, “remember when I said it’s okay if you don’t get it the first time? We can try again.” He turned to face upward at the ceiling.

Steve remained looking at Tony. “Of course…that felt really good. I never felt like that before…” He answered quietly.

Tony laughed as he turned to face Steve. “You know, Rogers. You’re better in bed than you think, trust me.”

Steve smiled, now thinking about Tony being inside of him and how great it felt despite a little pain at first. It was nothing like anything he had ever experienced before and he definitely wanted to try it again.

Steve slid a hand along Tony’s chest to pull him in for a kiss. “We should probably get back to work.”

Tony laughed again as he kissed Steve before sitting up straight. “I suppose you’re right, Rogers. But the suits are great, am I right?” He winked at Steve before rising from the bed, wiping himself off with a tissue before zipping up his pants.

Steve blushed as he accepted a tissue from Tony, wiping himself off before zipping his suit up. He looked up at Tony, seeing that the latter had been watching him while he cleaned himself off.

Suddenly, both heard a sharp buzz, like a notification from a cell phone, emanating from the floor. Steve looked downward to see Tony’s phone laying face down next to the bed.

“I think your phone ended up on the floor, Tony.” Steve grinned.

Tony groaned as he crouched downward to look for his phone. He stood up to sit back on the edge of the bed, tapping on his phone a few times.

“Fuck,” he then jumped off the bed, “I forgot that I was supposed to meet Banner for a bit. He wants to show me something.”

Steve nodded as Tony reached him to kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, okay?” Tony said as he sprinted out of the bedroom. "Thanks for the quickie!" He then shouted from the hallway.

Steve smiled to himself, looking back at the bed, still thinking about Tony.

* * *

Once the elevator stopped on the level where the Synergy labs were located, Tony bolted out into the corridor, jogging toward Bruce’s lab.

As soon as Tony approached the lab, he slowed down, straightening himself out before entering. Upon entering, he found Bruce standing next to a console, patiently waiting for him.

“Did you forget our meeting, Tony?”

Tony shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair a few times. “Nope, I just took my lunch break a little early.”

Bruce smiled. “Oh yeah? Where did you go?”

Tony grimaced as he walked toward the console. “Uh, just up to the penthouse. I had lunch with Steve.”

Bruce, not picking up on Tony’s obvious unwillingness to elaborate, continued. “What did you guys have? I was thinking about bringing my lunch but decided against it because that new Romanian place opened up down—”

“Jesus, Banner,” Tony slapped a hand to his forehead, “I was having sex with Steve. We were fucking, not eating. You’re so nosy.”

Bruce cringed. “Jeez, Tony. I was just trying to make conversation.”

Tony sighed as he rested his hands on his hips. “What’s up, Banner? You wanted to show me something?”

Bruce smiled before adjusting his glasses. “Okay, so, we’ve been playing around with a few things in the lab as it relates to the device…”

Tony nodded for Bruce to continue and Bruce nodded back emphatically. “…turns out that if we construct a mini reactor, we could use it to help the queue in the device.” He tapped a few times on a tablet he was holding to show Tony what was he was referring to.

Tony accepted the tablet. Immediately, he grinned the widest grin. “Banner! This is amazing!”

Bruce’s face flushed from the attention. “Ah, well, Shuri mostly figured out the mechanics behind it.” He tapped on the tablet again, showing Tony a projection mimicking a scenario for the separate reactor, “it’s scalable, so any situation isn’t too big or small for it.”

“Like diffusing an explosive?” Tony joked.

Bruce looked to be pondering the idea. “Try a _mega _explosive. If there is such a thing.”

Tony considered the statement against everything else they had encountered thus far. “Nothing is out of the realm of possibility, Banner.”

Bruce nodded with a reserved smile as Tony perched himself against a console. “So,” Tony began, crossing his arms, “when are you taking Romanov out?”

Bruce clammed up at once. He readjusted his glasses before answering. “…we haven’t settled on a date yet, because of all the commotion, but probably next week. The week after at the latest…”

Tony laughed too loudly as he slapped Bruce on the back, but Bruce barely budged from the impact.

“You’ll be fine. Also don’t talk about work. It’s cute sometimes, but not all the time.” Tony wagged a finger at his friend before turning to face a console.

Bruce nodded, attempting to discretely write down with a pencil on a piece of paper notes for his date.

“Are you seriously writing this down?” Tony had turned around quickly, almost as if he had eyes on the back of his head.

Bruce squeaked, shoving the piece of paper into his pocket. “Of course, not.” He joined Tony at the console, “so, uh, the reactor…” he tried, pointing to a projection.

Tony leered at Bruce, chuckling to himself before changing the topic of conversation much to Bruce’s relief.


	30. Chapter 30

“All right. Everyone in position?”

Tony peered downward over the balcony, watching numerous couples whirl around in the space designated for dancing. Tony turned to smile at Steve who nodded; Tony couldn’t help himself from expressing how enamored he was with how great Steve looked in a white and black tux.

“Ready whenever you are, Tony.” Bruce’s voice filtered in through both Steve and Tony’s earpieces. Bruce was sitting in a van with Thor and Shuri outside of the mansion, watching the rest of the team’s movements inside via a live stream.

“Romanov and Barton?” Tony called.

Natasha and Clint were dancing down below the balcony with the rest of the couples. Natasha discretely tapped on her earpiece.

“Good to go.” She answered as she and Clint maneuvered around one couple to get closer to another, which was their intended target for the evening.

As soon as they neared their target, Clint dipped Natasha who used the opportunity to pick the pocket of one of the men they were dancing next to, finding a computer chip. Clint then spun her around as she repositioned herself upright, allowing Clint to whisk them away from the couple.

“Got it.” Natasha said through her earpiece.

As the couples surrounding them began to dance slowly in time with the music winding down, Clint bowed theatrically in front of Natasha who sneered at her friend’s staged behavior. They then sauntered to the other side of the space, still within Tony’s and Steve’s view. Natasha positioned herself somewhat behind Clint as he handed her a miniature tablet. Natasha accepted the tablet before inserting the chip. After tapping on the tablet, Natasha found the mansion’s construction documents.

“Okay, we got the codes and the building plans. I’m sending the equations now, Stark.” Natasha called, handing the tablet back to Clint who slid it into the inside pocket of his suit.

Clint looked around before holding out a hand for Natasha to take. They then walked to the middle of the space to continue dancing to avoid looking suspicious.

Tony watched them from above before patting Steve on the shoulder, turning to leave the balcony. Tony led them down a hallway before taking the back stairs to the first floor, walking down another hallway before reaching a restroom where they had stashed the Synergy device and a tablet in a waste bin before the event that evening.

Tony tapped on the tablet, finding the construction documents and the codes, and Steve grabbed the Synergy device. Tony motioned for Steve to follow him out, walking through the first floor, avoiding other guests and security guards before finding the stairs to the basement level.

“Okay, so we need to use the codes to generate this thing to open the door. Think you can handle that, Rogers?” Tony teased.

Steve grinned as he let Tony walk ahead of him to descend the stairs into a dimly lit corridor. As the tablet screen glowed with a plan of the basement, Steve and Tony followed along until they found a gigantic vault door. Tony motioned for Steve to position himself and the device in front of the door as he tapped on his tablet to solve the equations. Tony then read the sequences for Steve who entered them into the device.

“Wow,” Bruce’s voice materialized as they worked, “this is going more smoothly than I had hoped.” He joked.

As soon as Steve finished inputting the sequences, the device generated the information for the codes they needed to enter into the vault’s access panel, but the numbers were a jumbled mess.

“Tony,” Shuri called, “I’m working on clearing up the codes, hold on a sec.”

Tony and Steve barely waited half a second as the vault door clicked as soon as Shuri reassembled the codes. The vault door opened slowly, but instead of revealing the team’s next objective, a gruff-looking Fury appeared with his arms crossed.

“Uh,” Tony rested his hands on his hips, “you know being a spy is your _actual_ day job, right?”

Fury shook his head. “No time for jokes, Stark. I need to end the simulation. We received a call from Doctor Strange; he’s running a medical clinic in Harlem and he’s come across some mysterious virus that his team can’t seem to wrap their heads around. They’re hoping the Synergy device could assist with generating some more equipment and supplies to support the staff.”

As Fury finished his statement, the simulation began to pixelate, slowly revealing the suite. The rest of the team appeared near Steve, Tony, and Fury, and Pepper and Rhodey were trying to usher the board members standing above on a balcony out of the space. The team promptly marched out of the suite as they followed Fury who continued to give orders.

“I need Romanov and Barton at S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Fury turned to face the group as they entered the hallway, “the rest of the team I need you all at the medical clinic.” Natasha and Clint followed Fury into an elevator as Tony turned to face the rest of the team.

“Okay, gang. Here’s the real deal. Everyone’s suits are in their labs. The material should shield us from whatever this virus is.”

Everyone nodded or responded verbally to a degree before heading toward their intended destinations.

* * *

_Not long after…_

The remaining team had split up into two separate helicopters to meet Strange at Mount Liberty before heading to the medical clinic in Harlem.

“So, explain this to me again, Strange…” Tony began as he and Steve drove with Strange in a car from the hospital to the clinic site, “just this past week, some of your patients got sick all of a sudden and you’re not sure what the issue is?”

Strange nodded with a heavy sigh as he stopped the car in front of Marcus Garvey Park where the medical clinic was housed.

“We thought the first few cases might have been the flu, but then the symptoms turned into something more serious. This past week alone we’ve received more than fifty people at the clinic and the numbers are rising.”

Strange exited the car, and Steve and Tony followed him to enter the park. “If we don’t do something soon, I’m afraid it’ll get even worse. Who knows how many others have contracted this virus and are unaware.”

Tony and Steve followed Strange into a building built temporarily in the middle of the park. As they walked toward the clinic, they came across several hospital beds containing people being treated by several nurses and doctors.

Strange pointed to the beds. “We’ve been receiving so many new cases that we can’t fit everyone in the clinic, that’s why this entire area has been cordoned off.” He explained further.

“Tony,” Bruce began to speak into Steve and Tony’s earpieces, “where do you want us?”

Tony tapped on his earpiece. “It looks like the situation is more serious than expected. I think it’s probably best to have the three of you wait outside the park when you arrive then we can switch places after the specs are generated.”

“Gotcha, Tony.” Bruce responded.

Strange led Steve and Tony inside the building, leading them to the section where Strange’s team kept the medical equipment.

Strange pointed to a few items. “As you can see, we’re running low on supplies.” He then called for an intern and a nurse before studying some information on a tablet.

Tony turned to face Steve. “Let’s move on this quickly, Rogers.”

Steve nodded as Tony pulled out his tablet to find equations from Clint and Natasha. “Everything looks normal…” Tony had mostly said to himself.

Steve knew that he was possibly referring to someone taking the opportunity to sabotage the device while out in the field. Even so, without delay, Tony began to read the solved equations out loud for Steve who inputted them into the device.

“I can’t believe we’re getting to see the Synergy device in action...” The intern had loudly whispered to the nurse, earning a grimace considering how grave the situation was.

As the device generated the specs for the required medical equipment, Tony tapped on his earpiece.

“Banner. Rogers and I are about done.”

“Okay, let us know when you’re about to leave so we can assemble the parts.” Bruce answered.

“Stark,” Natasha called sternly through everyone’s earpiece, “there are some numbers here that don’t look like the information for the medical supplies…I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m sending it to you and Dr. Banner now.”

Tony glanced quickly at Steve, making it obvious that he feared they could have a malfunctioning device on their hands again.

“Banner,” Tony called as he studied the numbers on his tablet, “do you see this?”

Bruce sighed before answering. “I’m not sure what to make of it, Tony. But it doesn’t look like the equations from the precinct explosion.”

Tony waited. “Okay, give me a second and I’ll figure it out.” He tapped on his tablet a few times, sighing loudly to himself before letting out an “ah ha!”.

“Stand by, Rogers.” Tony then read the sequences off for Steve.

As Steve entered the set into the device, the device glowed like it did the first time the team used it to save the visiting diplomat. It hummed quietly, slowly changing colors as it reproduced the first set of specs for the medical equipment. It then paused before gleaming vibrantly again. It continued to hum as it created a set of specs that had not been initially requested by Strange.

“What is that?” Steve asked as Tony walked up to the device.

“I have no idea…” Tony answered slowly.

“Tony, what happened?” Bruce called.

Tony shook his head. “The device, it reproduced something from that equation set, but I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking at…”

“Oh my god…” Steve and Tony turned around at the sound of Strange’s voice who had appeared behind them.

“…that’s what we needed…” Strange vaguely explained as he approached the device.

He walked ahead of Tony and Steve, pointing to the specs. “How did you create this? The medical research lab at Columbia said they were more than a year away from finding a cure…”

Steve and Tony looked at each other before staring at Strange who looked incredibly dumbfounded by the mysterious specs.

But Tony only shrugged with a grin. “That’s Synergy for ya, Strange.”

* * *

_The following week…_

“There it is.”

Thor and Steve were sitting in Thor’s car on the other side of a street lined with rowhouses. Thor pointed to the building at the corner. Steve squinted as he looked out the passenger-side window: the building and the entire street did not look how he had pictured Loki’s favorite hang-out spot to be.

“_That’s_ Jutenheim?” Steve whispered.

Thor nodded. “You will understand when you’re inside.”

Thor exited the vehicle and Steve followed him. A previous plan had included Tony, but he couldn’t find anyone to watch Peter at the last minute, so Steve and Thor planned to nab Loki before bringing him back to Stark Tower to be interrogated by the team afterword.

“Okay, so we’ll grab Loki then I’ll call Tony.” Steve reminded Thor who barely responded as he marched toward the building. Steve stopped him short with an outstretched arm before entering.

“Let’s try to go about this as quietly as possible, okay? We don’t want to draw any more attention to ourselves than we have to.”

Thor grunted, nearly shoving Steve out of the way, but the other appeared unfazed by it. They walked up the stairs leading to the front door, taking note of their surroundings before opening the door.

Upon entering, Steve and Thor were met with a nicely dressed woman standing in the foyer. She stood defiantly with her arms crossed.

“Which realm do frost giants lie?" She coolly asked.

“The ninth.” Thor answered swiftly, yet harshly.

The woman looked back and forth between Steve and Thor before moving to the side to let them through the hallway. Thor walked ahead as Steve remarked to himself how conceited the atmosphere of the place already appeared. However, Thor remained unbothered; Steve could tell that he was hellbent on finding his brother.

The two men walked through an empty hallway that was attached to the foyer; it looked as if the rowhouse had been subdivided to fit a subdued bar-like atmosphere. As they continued, the dimmed lighting increased with intensity; they heard some instrumental music playing in the background, beginning softly before reaching a comfortable level for people to chat over.

As soon as they reached the main space where it appeared most people were gathered, they found groups of people dressed similarly to the woman they had met at the front. There was a huge bar counter off to the side and a small band playing in an opposite corner.

_This looks like a creepier version of Thor’s place_…Steve thought to himself as he looked around the area.

Thor pointed to the back of the space. Steve nodded as he continued to follow him. They passed the main space before entering another small hallway lined with some people leaning against the walls and chatting. Steve and Thor continued until they found an unmarked door at the very end of the hallway, hearing voices on the other side.

Thor pressed his ear against the door to listen in. “He is in here.”

Steve nodded as he looked around. “Okay, maybe we can get someone to let us in—”

But before Steve could finish, Thor kicked the door handle, causing the door to fly open, taking part of the door frame with it. In the room were several people, including Loki, sitting on couches and futons, staring at the commotion.

“Loki!” Thor shouted. Steve tried to grab Thor, but he yanked away as he marched into the middle of the room, shoving a table out of the way before grabbing Loki by the collar of his shirt.

“Loki!” Thor shouted again as he shook his brother around like a rag doll, “what have you done?!”

Loki made a gurgling noise as he tried to grasp at his collar to get Thor to let him go. But before he could answer him, one of the people sitting on the couch next to him jumped up and punched Thor in the face. Thor dropped Loki who crumpled to the floor underneath his brother and his friend. Steve ran over to try to grab the man who had punched Thor, but as he approached the brawl, a woman stuck out her leg to trip him and Steve went flying into one of the couches.

Thor jumped up from the floor, barely disoriented by the punch. Steve was now scuffling around on the floor with another one of Loki’s friends who was trying to choke him. Thor grabbed Steve’s assailant, throwing him to the other side of the room.

Loki, still lying on the floor, looked around. He then crawled over to a table as he watched Thor and Steve wrestle with his friends.

“Uh, I think it’s time for me to take my leave.” He said to himself, jumping up from behind the table, first trying to walk past the fight, but then breaking out into a run to get away as quickly as possible.

“Thor!” Steve shouted as he shoved a couple people away from him, “I’m going after Loki!”

Steve sprinted out of the room, following Loki to the middle of the main area. Loki looked around, trying to get through the crowds of people. Steve managed to catch up with him, yanking on his collar to hold him still.

“Loki! This will be easier for you if you come with us quietly!” Steve shouted over the music.

Loki grinned as he tried to face Steve. “And then get the shit kicked out of me by my dear brother? Not a chance!”

Steve grimaced as he tried to drag Loki away from the counter but before he could walk away someone smacked him in the face with a frying pan. Steve slumped to the side, grasping at the counter to hold himself up, as Loki ran away from him.

“Jutenheim has an excellent kitchen! You should try it next time you crash a party here!” He shouted with glee before running into something that felt like a solid brick wall. Loki bounced off the obstacle, falling backward onto his backside. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head, looking upward to see that Thor had blocked his path.

“Loki, enough!” Thor shouted as he reached downward to grab his brother.

Thor hoisted Loki over his shoulder before walking over to Steve who was now standing upright, but still somewhat reeling from being smacked in the face with kitchenware. Loki screamed for Thor to put him down as Thor marched out of the building.

“Let me go!” Loki shrieked as Thor threw him into the back of the car. Loki grabbed Thor and the two of them wrestled with each other in the back seat as Steve tried to help Thor hold Loki still.

“Get your hands off me!” Loki continued to scream.

“Hold him down.” Thor said to Steve as he let go of Loki to get to the trunk of his car. He pulled out two sets of jumper cables.

Steve, holding Loki with one hand while the rest of his body was outside of the car, glared at Thor.

“We’re not tying him up, Thor.”

“Perhaps you have a more effective way?” Thor grunted as he opened the other side of the backseat to tie up Loki with the cables.

Steve sighed, shaking his head "no", as he held Loki down for Thor to tie up. Thor then slammed the door, before angrily getting into the driver’s seat. Steve slid into the passenger seat, trying to avoid Loki who was bouncing around in the backseat attempting to free himself from the cables.

Steve pulled out his phone and tapped on Tony’s contact profile from his favorites list. “…Hey, Tony. We have Loki…” Steve looked at Thor who was fuming, “…okay, we’ll meet you at the Tower.”

* * *

_Soon after…_

The conference room rumbled as everyone’s attention was captured by Thor barreling into the space, dragging Loki behind him with Steve following behind. Loki, still tied up in the jumper cables, was trying to wiggle away from Thor. Natasha and Bruce lunged toward Thor to get him to let go of Loki: Bruce held onto Thor as Natasha grabbed Loki before throwing him in the nearest chair.

Tony marched up to Loki, tapping a few times on the tablet he was holding until he found the cleaned-up footage of Dr. Selvig damaging the Synergy device and Loki attacking Clint.

“Okay, so I’m only going to say this once. And if you don’t answer me correctly,” Tony pointed to a manic-looking Thor as he was now being held back by Steve and Bruce, “I’m going to sic your brother on you and he looks like he wants to beat the shit out of you.” He shoved the tablet into Loki’s face.

“Who the fuck is trying to sabotage Synergy?”

Loki looked back and forth between Thor and Tony, his face working with constructing any possible lie he could conceive. Natasha interrupted his mental dealings by slapping him across the head.

“Talk. Or you’ll have to deal with me instead.” Her voice never rose above her normal speaking tone, but it was still very intimidating.

Loki looked upward at Natasha before looking downward at the tablet. He stayed silent as the footage played in front of him.

Suddenly, as everyone else waited anxiously for him to respond, Loki began to laugh. The laughter started out quiet, but then rose to a high maniacal register.

“Talk!” Tony shoved the tablet further into Loki’s face which stopped him from laughing.

Loki grinned upward at Tony. “You have no idea.”

Tony grimaced before crouching downward to be at eye level with Loki. “Then fucking enlighten me.”

Loki continued to grin before looking away at nothing. His expression turned uncanny. “This is way bigger than you and your pathetic little team.”

Tony sighed as he straightened up to cross his arms. “Loki, I don’t have time for the melodramatics. We know you had something to do with Selvig damaging the device; we know you doctored the security tapes; _and_ we have footage of you attacking Barton.”

Loki looked over at Thor before facing Tony. “I don’t want him anywhere near me if I tell you.” He said quietly, referring to his irate brother.

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. “Get him out of here, please.”

Thor broke away from Steve and Bruce. “No! I’m not going anywhere!”

Tony sighed again as he looked directly at Steve. “Please get him out of here.” His voice rose in earnest, but that didn’t stop Steve from gently grabbing Thor by the arm to lead him out of the room, followed by Bruce who attempted to calm Thor down as much as possible. Tony waited for the door to close before inching into Loki’s personal space.

“The shit you pulled put one of my people in the hospital,” he shoved the tablet into Loki’s face again, “you better fucking talk _now_.”

Loki looked upward at Tony as he took his time answering. “_Thanos_…” Was all he offered in a creepy, hushed voice that almost verged on the comical side.

Tony glanced at Natasha before looking back downward at Loki. “Come again? What the hell is a ‘Thanos’?”

Loki erupted with laughter again, but Natasha stopped him by slapping the back of his head again.

“Can you get her to stop doing that please?” Loki pleaded with Tony as he tried to rub the back of his head but his hands were tied against his body.

Tony shook his head. “Stop messing around first.”

Loki sighed; he looked downward at the floor before looking upward at Tony. “Dr. Thanos. He used to work here ages ago.”

Tony gave Loki the most puzzled look signaling he didn’t recognize the name.

Loki rolled his eyes with a shrug. “He said he used to work here when your dad was in charge?”

Tony’s eyes widened as he suddenly remembered firing several employees a while back who had been trading company secrets with rival companies.

Tony grabbed Loki by the collar. “What the fuck is he trying to do?!” He exclaimed almost choking Loki. Natasha patted him on the arm a few times before gently pulling him off Loki.

“I’m fuzzy on the details…I’ve only been given some information…I was only contacted to persuade Selvig…they wanted to use him to build some sort of super weapon…” Loki gasped as soon as Tony let go of him.

“Who’s they? Thanos?” Tony questioned as he calmed down.

Loki nodded, eyeing Natasha in case she slapped him again.

Tony crossed his arms. “Okay…so there’s this random scientist, Thanos, building a super weapon…what does that also have to do with Selvig damaging the Synergy device? Wouldn’t he need it to help build this weapon?”

Loki gulped before answering, looking back and forth between Tony and Natasha.

“…all I know is that Thanos wants the device but he’s jamming it on purpose…that’s all I know, I swear.”

Natasha stepped forward as if she were about to slap Loki again which caused Loki to fidget in his chair as he continued.

“…Dr. Thanos went to work for Hammer Industries, I think, after he was fired. They…Thanos and his daughters…knew you were close to figuring out their plan, so Thanos had his daughters pose as buyers at some event to throw you off his scent. Someone…I don’t know who…might have been one of Thanos’s daughters…contacted me to help convince Selvig to tamper with the device and build the super weapon for Thanos…and yes, I…doctored the footage…”

Bruce had entered the room as Loki explained the details of Thanos’s plan.

“Who else is involved?” Tony asked, fuming. He was expecting Loki to also give up Obadiah.

Loki shifted in his chair. “…that’s all I know…”

Tony sighed as he rubbed his forehead. “Why would you do this? Even if you don’t care about Synergy, you put people’s lives in danger, including your brother’s.”

Loki scoffed as if he couldn’t be bothered. “Thor isn’t _really_ my brother. I’m adopted and it was clear from the very beginning that he was always our father’s favorite.”

Tony sighed again as he looked at Natasha. “Romanov, get Fury. He needs to hear this. Also tell him to just keep this between himself and the team.”

Natasha nodded as she exited the room to call Fury. Tony then turned away from Loki toward Bruce to tap on his phone furiously.

Bruce approached Tony. “What are you doing, Tony?”

“I’m tired of pussy footing around. I’m calling security to drag Obie—”

But before Tony could angrily finish answering his friend, Bruce moved to gently push Tony’s phone away from his ear, but he miscalculated the force of his movement, slapping Tony’s phone instead as his hand launched the phone across the room.

Bruce mouthed “I’m sorry” before covering his mouth, shocked by his action. Tony looked at Bruce then the phone then back at Bruce.

“I say this out of love and deep respect because you are one of my dearest friends,” Tony began with a deep sigh, “but slap my phone like that again and I’ll throw you out too, Banner.”

Bruce groaned as he watched Tony calmly walk over to the other side of the room to retrieve his phone.

“Tony, just wait. Let’s see what Fury says before getting Obadiah involved. We might be wrong.”

Tony dusted off his phone before glaring at Bruce; he knew he was right. Although he was sure Loki was withholding information that would implicate Obadiah, he never explicitly said so which might backfire on Tony in the future.

“So,” Loki began with a shrug, “can I safely assume that I could receive some sort of immunity for helping you all? I’m putting my life on the line here.”

Bruce shook his head. “Loki, you have no idea about the amount of damage you’ve already caused so I would cool it with the assumptions.”

Loki chuckled. “There’s no need to get angry about all of this, Dr. Banner.”

Bruce marched to Loki’s chair, wedging himself into Loki’s personal space. “Oh, you won’t like me when I get angry.” He slowly responded, never breaking eye contact with Loki.

Tony wagged a finger at Loki before exiting the room. “I’ve seen him angry and it’s not pretty.” He then opened to the door out into the hallway to find Steve calmly talking to Thor. Natasha was still on the phone, but then she hung up as soon as Tony appeared.

“I’m calling for some back up to take Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.” Natasha said to Tony.

Tony nodded as he pointed to Thor. “Are you ready to come back in?”

Thor nodded slowly. “I want to see him.”

Tony lingered before stepping to the side to let Thor into the room. Thor stopped at the threshold of the door before walking up to Loki who recoiled in his chair as his brother approached. Thor shook his head before standing on the other side of the room.

“Loki, why would you do this?” Thor’s expression softened as he tried to understand his brother’s actions.

Loki stared at Thor before laughing loudly again. “Oh, come on, Thor. You cannot be _that_ obtuse.”

Thor stared blankly at Loki. “I do not understand.”

Loki sighed dramatically. “You’ll never be able to stop Thanos, even if I help you.”

Tony glared at Loki. “That sounds like a challenge I’m willing to bet on.”

Tony turned around quickly before hearing or seeing a response from Loki. He marched out of the conference room as Natasha went back into the room to detain Loki with Bruce and Thor until more agents arrived.

“I need to check on Peter.” Tony said to Steve as he walked past him.

Steve nodded as he followed Tony, taking the private express elevator up to the penthouse. As soon as they arrived at the level, Steve went to Tony’s bedroom to wait for him as the latter checked on Peter who was sleeping soundly. As Tony entered the master bedroom, Steve could tell he was still upset.

“I’m going to have to contact Hammer to figure out this Thanos mess.” Tony said to Steve as he undressed before crawling into the bed. Steve nodded, doing the same.

Tony turned over onto his side, not really being as affectionate with Steve as he typically was before calling it night. Steve took notice but decided not to press it; he knew Tony was mentally grappling the situation.

“Goodnight, Tony.” Steve whispered as he tried to hug Tony from behind.

Tony squiggled a bit but felt distant at the same time. Steve waited patiently for him to answer.

“Night.” Tony answered curtly.

Steve continued to wait until it became obvious that Tony was done for the night. He closed his eyes, but the entire night, he had trouble sleeping. He could feel Tony wrestling around next to him, indicating that he wasn’t asleep either. After a while, Tony had left the bed, but Steve stayed, figuring it was probably best to give Tony some space.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😏

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Father’s Day, Steve and Tony!

“Well, well, well. I’m finally having a nice lunch with Tony fucking Stark. Lucky me!”

Tony cringed as soon as he spotted his pseudo business rival, Justin Hammer, greet him with open arms. Hammer was standing at the table he had reserved for them at an overly priced restaurant in midtown. Tony lingered a few feet away from the table, glaring at Hammer. Hammer stuck out his hand for Tony to shake who ignored it before sitting down at the table.

Needless to say, Tony was annoyed that he had to meet with Hammer; it seemed as if Hammer Industries' business model was to copy everything Stark Industries produced so it wasn’t a surprise to him that a fired Stark Industries employee had went to work for Hammer.

“Hammer.” Tony only offered as he settled into his chair.

Hammer smirked at Tony as he sat down. “So, what can I get the national hero?” He waved for a waiter to serve their table, “seriously, though. How did your gadget figure out a cure for a newly developed virus? That seems impossible.”

“Save it, Hammer.” Tony sharply responded, knowing Hammer was mostly interested in replicating Synergy’s hardware and software.

“I’m only here to get information on one of your former employees.”

Hammer rolled his eyes but ordered anyway before turning to face Tony directly. “So, what do you want to know, Stark? You already poached a few of my people and don’t think I didn’t notice that you managed to convince the sister of Wakanda’s King to join your team.”

“First, T’Challa’s sister’s name is Shuri.” Tony corrected as he leaned forward, “second, does the name ‘Thanos’ ring a bell?”

As soon as Tony uttered the name, Hammer’s face went completely white. He cleared his throat a few times as he fidgeted in his chair, obviously visibly uncomfortable by the topic.

“Uh, why?” He finally responded.

Tony picked up on the hesitancy evident in Hammer’s tone. He took his time before answering. “I had to fire one of my best scientists because he was leaking company secrets to whomever this Thanos is.”

Hammer nodded quickly before looking around the restaurant. He lowered his voice as he leaned inward.

“Thanos worked for me for about a year…we caught him using company equipment trying to build some sort of a weapon…but nothing I’ve ever been contracted to build…something more…diabolical, I guess…let’s just say, nothing a military couldn’t use without being charged with a war crime…”

Tony nodded sternly thinking back to Loki admitting to the team that Thanos was using Selvig to build a super weapon.

“Did he get far?” Tony asked calmly.

Hammer shook his head, leaning back into his chair. “We managed to stop it before he got far…there was something about the core of the weapon that made it unstable—”

Tony held up a hand to get Hammer to stop talking. “Wait a minute. The core?”

But before Hammer could confirm, Tony had jumped up from the table, whipping out his phone from his pocket as he headed toward the exit.

“Hey!” Hammer began to call after him, “what about lunch?”

Tony ignored him as he stepped outside of the restaurant to call Fury.

“Fury, Thanos is trying to use Synergy to build a core similar to the vibranium one. We have to cease operations before he can get his hands on it.”

* * *

_A few days later…_

After describing what best he could about Thanos’s intended plan, Fury had put Loki into protective custody on the condition that he would no longer leak Synergy secrets. Tony had been even more frustrated with Loki’s detailed responses; he didn’t understand why or if Loki was protecting Obadiah. Tony wanted to move quickly to prevent Thanos from further sabotaging Synergy, but he needed to gather more intel to prove that Obadiah was also complicit.

After all, Obadiah must have known that the buyers out in Malibu were connected to Thanos and Loki’s firing was still very much suspicious. Even so, Tony knew the board wouldn’t believe him considering his past image, so he needed Loki to say out loud that Obadiah was involved.

Tony managed to convince Fury and the team to keep the new revelations concerning Loki to themselves which included excluding the full executive committee. Tony hated keeping Pepper in the dark, considering everything she had done for him up until that point, but he was afraid that the information might leak to Obadiah who would then use it to his advantage.

Considering the intercompany politics, Obadiah had to be involved: there was no way Selvig and Loki could tinker with the device’s mechanical wiring without confidential project information that had been distributed to the committee. And unless Fury and Pepper were also conspiring behind his back, Tony placed all his bets on Obadiah being the missing link. He just hoped waiting to gather more information on Obadiah didn’t lead to another unfortunate incident.

After a meeting at S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony was in the lab with Steve working on some sequences to run on the device before locking it down for the time being unless there was an urgent emergency.

“Fuck.” Tony suddenly swore to himself as he tossed his tablet onto the nearest console.

“What?” Steve had asked as he joined Tony at his station.

Tony groaned as he placed his hands on his hips. “I told Happy I was picking up Peter today and I totally forgot because I’m too damned stressed about this fucking project. I can’t leave this sequencing unattended though.”

Steve nodded; he waited a moment before responding. “I can get him for you if you want, Tony. I can borrow Bucky’s car.”

Tony stared at Steve before shaking his head quickly. “Uh, no. But thank you, Rogers. That’s too much to ask for.”

Steve smiled as he leaned next to Tony. “I don’t mind.” He placed a hand on Tony’s waist.

Tony smiled back, nearly blushing from how close Steve was, as he considered the idea. “Okay, thanks, Cap. That’s really helpful.” The grateful sounding tone in Tony’s voice made Steve chuckle.

After rubbing Steve’s arm, Tony retrieved his phone from a console. “I just need to put you on the school’s list for pickups, because you know, stranger danger.” He shrugged with a grin before rapidly typing in Peter’s school’s number for maybe the hundredth time.

He walked a few paces away from Steve as his call connected with the school’s main office.

“…Hi, yep, it’s me,” Tony laughed, “…no, not today. I’m calling to add a name to Peter’s pickup list…” he waited a bit before continuing, shyly smiling back at Steve before turning around to face away from him, “…Steve Rogers…uh, yes…same one…” Tony’s voice lowered, trying not to make it obvious that he had been telling the office people at his kid’s school about the person he’s been seeing.

Tony chatted a bit longer before saying goodbye. He turned around to walk back toward Steve. “Okay, we’re good to go! Thanks a million, Cap.” He winked at Steve.

Steve nodded, walking up to Tony to kiss him before leaving the lab. “We’ll see you later, okay?” He smiled as he left, waving at Tony from the corridor.

Tony smiled back and waved as he watched Steve walk toward the elevator bank.

* * *

_About an hour later…_

Steve waited nervously next to the car, crossing his arms, trying to seem as cool as possible as he waited for Peter to appear. He looked around and smiled at the other parents before the school bell rang way too loudly.

Suddenly, the door to the school’s main building burst open and a herd of children came piling out. Steve looked around, spotting Peter jogging out with one of his friends, engaged in what appeared to be the most liveliest of conversations.

“Peter!” Steve shouted and waved.

Peter stopped mid conversation as he recognized that he was being called. He spotted Steve and smiled.

“Steve!” Peter not only seemed excited to see, he ran toward Steve with glee.

“Hi, Steve!” Peter stopped short before running into Steve.

Steve smiled as he crouched down to be at eye level with Peter. “I’m picking you up today. Is that okay?” He asked, not really sure what to say to Peter without sounding overly forward.

Peter smiled with a nod. “Of course! Are we going to see my dad later?”

Steve nodded as he helped Peter settle in the car. “Yes, we’ll make dinner for him later when he’s done in the lab. Does that sound good?”

Peter clapped his hands together as Steve buckled him into his seat. “Yeah! He’ll like that. He works late sometimes.”

Steve smiled as he walked around the car to get into the driver’s seat. “Okay, then. Tell me what we should make, and we’ll get what we need for him.” He asked as soon as he closed the door and started the engine.

Peter began rattling off potential dishes he had seen Tony eat a few times as Steve drove off toward the Tower.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Bruce’s breath hitched as soon as he saw Natasha already sitting at their table in the restaurant. She looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her, and he had no idea that was physically possible.

_Okay, I can do this_…He convinced himself, trying to smile which twisted into a half-grimace.

Natasha spotted him walking into the restaurant and waved for him to join her. Bruce coughed nervously as he took his time walking to the table. He hesitated before giving her a weird semi-hug, but Natasha just brushed it off.

“It’s really nice to see you, Natasha.” Bruce started as he sat down awkwardly in his chair.

Natasha laughed. “Didn’t I just see you not too long ago? But this scenery is better.”

Bruce laughed nervously as a waitress came up to their table to write down their drink orders. After the waitress left, Bruce and Natasha chatted for a bit. Ignoring Tony’s advice, Bruce tried to bring up work as a distraction from his nerves, but Natasha effortlessly maneuvered the conversation toward something more personal.

After a while, Bruce could feel himself becoming more relaxed, finding himself laughing and opening up more.

“This is really great so far.” Bruce had unintentionally let out, immediately regretting it and hoping he didn’t sound desperate.

Natasha nodded with a smile. “Yes, hopefully we can do this again.”

Bruce had to prevent himself from falling out of his chair. He took his time answering by readjusting his eyeglasses.

“Uh, yes. I would really like that.”

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

“Hey! I’m home!” Tony shouted, dropping his work bag on the floor as soon as the elevator doors opened into the penthouse.

“Sorry it took me so long. I had to run the sequences again…” Tony continued to shout, thinking Steve and Peter could hear him from wherever they were in the penthouse. He shed his jacket before walking toward the kitchen.

“…I hope you guys managed to find something to eat for dinner…” Tony stopped short before entering the kitchen. He found Steve and Peter cooking together at the stove.

Tony lingered at the entrance, amazed with how great Steve and Peter looked together. He watched them as Steve showed Peter the rest of the recipe for dinner. Steve turned slightly, noticing Tony in the archway watching them.

“Hey! When did you get in?” Steve asked with a broad smile as he set Peter up at the island to toss ingredients into the salad.

Tony chuckled as he entered the kitchen, walking over to the island to ruffle Peter’s hair before giving Steve a hug.

“I was calling from the foyer, but it looks like everyone’s busy in here.” He teased before kissing Steve.

Steve kissed Tony back. “Sorry, we had meant to have dinner ready by the time you were done, but we worked on homework first so we can take the rest of the night off.” He smiled over at Peter who nodded enthusiastically.

Tony laughed, looking back and forth between Steve and Peter. “Can I help?”

Steve shook his head. “Nope. We got this covered. Why don’t you relax?”

Tony smiled, thinking back to the first time they had Steve over for dinner. “Okay, but I’m hanging out in the kitchen to supervise tasting.”

Tony sat down at the island and watched Steve and Peter finish making dinner. After dinner was plated, the three of them decided to eat at the kitchen island, and Peter told Steve and Tony about his day.

“Peter, why don’t you tell Tony what you learned today?” Steve asked Peter who had taken a break from his story to eat his food.

Tony grinned as he found his notebook he kept for Peter’s quota. “You think you’ll be able to stump me again, Parker?”

Peter nodded emphatically as he glanced at Steve before looking back at Tony. “If I win, could I also stay up an extra ten minutes?”

Tony chuckled as he looked at Steve who just shrugged. He looked back at Peter, crossing his arms, pretending to be seriously mulling over the idea.

“How about this. Since it’s a Friday, if you stump me, I’ll let you stay up an extra _thirty_ minutes, and Steve can help me put you to bed.” He had offered casually with a wave of the hand.

Peter’s eyes grew big as he bounced in his chair. “Okay!”

After an intense exchange of wit between Tony and Peter, Peter ultimately stumped Tony with what he had learned that day without Tony letting him win that time around. They finished eating dinner soon after as the familiarity mounted to new levels of intimacy, and of course Tony donned the mask of shame until bed time.

Later that evening, the three of them cleaned up the kitchen together. Peter had begged Tony to play music while they cleaned which delayed cleaning by quite a bit as they danced and sang to one of Tony’s frequently played playlist. Peter had found Robyn’s “Get Myself Together” the most enjoyable, nearly breaking a dish as he tried to pass it to Steve who washed with Tony drying.

After cleaning, Peter got ready for bed and Steve helped Tony tuck him in. After putting Peter to bed, Steve and Tony took their time walking to the master bedroom. Tony opened the door for Steve; Steve smiled back at him as he approached the bed, unbuttoning his shirt.

“Thank god I can take this goofy thing off now.” Tony quipped, taking Peter’s mask off, prompting a chuckle from Steve.

Tony came up from behind, wrapping his hands around Steve’s waist, pulling him in close to his body. They stayed liked this for some time before Steve turned around to face Tony, placing his hands on his face, leaning downward slightly to kiss him. Tony closed his eyes as he kissed Steve back.

Steve slid one hand down Tony’s neck, rubbing it before moving it further down his body while keeping the other on Tony’s cheek. Tony leaned in, rubbing Steve’s backside with both hands. Steve turned them around before laying Tony on top of the bed. Tony scooted up the bed as Steve met him, they resumed kissing as Tony spread his legs while the top half of his body was propped against the headboard. Steve pushed his body down in Tony between his legs as Tony hugged him against his body.

They kissed each other for some time; taking their time, moving slowly. Tony moaned as he bit Steve’s bottom lip before using the opportunity to feel every inch of Steve’s lips. Steve squeezed him tighter, and Tony could feel him trying to hold onto him as gently as possibly, but it also felt like Steve would never let him go. Or possibly never leave him. He never felt this vulnerable with someone before.

_I love you, Steve…_the thought had entered Tony’s mind so quickly that he almost said it out loud, and his chest began to hurt almost immediately.

Tony moved his head to the side as Steve continued to kiss him, now moving to Tony’s neck then the underside of his chin.

_I love you, Steve…_Tony thought again. He shook his head as Steve kissed him; he seemed unaware that Tony was fidgeting around, fighting himself not to say his thoughts out loud.

“Steve…” Tony started, gripping Steve’s shoulders with both hands.

Steve hummed to indicate that he had heard Tony, but he never broke away from the kiss. Tony swallowed a lump in his throat as he demanded himself to play cool and not tell Steve that he loved him.

Although everything with Steve seemed perfect so far, Tony knew he needed to keep his distance. There was no way this could last if he opened up more; this thing with Steve needed to stay where it was and there was no point in trying to make it into anything more.

Steve seemed understanding, but he wasn’t aware of all of Tony’s issues. Steve had only caught a glimpse of how big an emotional wreck Tony could be over Bucky and Tony knew that if Steve saw everything he would definitely leave. So, it was better to have some distance.

“Uh…” Tony tried so say something, but his brain short circuited from the mental gymnastics. However, it appeared that Steve had barely taken notice.

“Steve,” Tony slowly pushed Steve away so that he could look at him, “…I’m…not a good person…” He let out quietly, turning his face to the side.

Steve pulled himself away more to look directly at Tony. “What?”

Tony shifted his body. “You should know that I’m not good at this…”

Steve sat up, staring intently. He took a moment before responding. “Tony…are you trying to break up with me?”

Tony, now expressing horror, rapidly shook his head a few times. “What? No, I’m just being honest like we talked about.”

Steve shook his head. “I know I’m not an expert when it comes to dating but that’s what this sounds like.” At this point, Steve was close to the middle of the bed. Tony had scooted closer toward him, albeit cautiously.

“Steve, no, of course not. I’m just letting you know what you might be getting into, that’s all.”

Steve’s jaw hardened. “Tony, why would you say that?”

Tony sighed, hanging his head as he attempted to pull Steve toward his body. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way…it’s more like…well…”

Steve reached out a hand to rub the back of Tony’s neck. “Tony, you’re absolutely amazing…” He whispered.

Tony smiled shyly but then he grinned to mask his exposure. “You sure you’re speaking to the right Tony?”

But instead of playing along, Steve’s expression turned stern again. He looked solemnly at Tony.

“Don’t do that, Tony. Please don’t talk about yourself like that…especially when we’re like this…you told me you wouldn’t…”

Tony couldn’t stop his face from expressing how surprised he was by the comment. “Steve…”

Steve nodded as he leaned inward to kiss Tony, taking his time like he had earlier. Tony breathed deeply as he accepted the kiss from Steve, wrapping his arms around his neck as he pulled him in close. Steve laid on top of Tony as Tony used his legs to draw him in nearer. Steve kissed Tony on the lips before moving to kiss the underside of his chin. He then gently turned Tony over onto his side as he laid behind him, rubbing Tony’s chest from behind.

Steve continued to rub Tony before unbuttoning Tony’s shirt slowly, slipping a hand underneath the fabric of his shirt to feel his skin. Tony moaned softly as Steve rubbed and pinched his nipples with both hands before using one hand to rub his body as the other kept feeling his chest. Tony pushed his body into Steve’s, rocking forward and back, moaning quietly from Steve feeling him.

For a moment, they remained like this before Tony turned his head slightly to kiss Steve as best as he could. Steve hugged Tony against his body to kiss him before Tony turned around fully to wrap his hands around Steve’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Steve kissed Tony back before turning him over onto his back, fully unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it off before making his way down the length of Tony’s body.

Tony inhaled sharply as he felt Steve unzip his pants, pulling them downward as he felt Tony through the fabric of his briefs. Tony pushed upward in Steve’s hand as his cock hardened with every stroke. Tony closed his eyes as he felt Steve pull down his briefs, feeling Steve’s hand against his skin.

“…fuck…” Tony gasped.

Steve kept stroking, taking his time replacing his hand with his mouth. He licked Tony as he took him in slowly, using his hand to stroke the base of Tony’s cock as he sucked.

Tony gasped and moaned with every movement, running a hand through Steve’s hair. Steve used his other hand to hold Tony still, but he wiggled underneath Steve as he sucked his cock.

“Fuck, Steve. I think I’m close…” Tony moaned.

Steve let Tony’s cock slide out of his mouth before he laid on top of Tony, unzipping his pants, pulling down his briefs to grind his exposed hard cock against Tony’s. Steve pushed downward into Tony who pushed upward, his hands clenching at Steve’s backside before grabbing his ass.

Steve rutted up against Tony, breathing heavily as he placed a hand behind Tony’s head, kissing him as he pushed downward. Tony kissed Steve back, but gasped for air as the kiss grew even more intense.

“Tony…fuck…” Steve whispered, earning a smile from Tony who gripped his body even tighter.

They continued grinding up against each other, their cocks twitching from the movement between them. Steve placed both hands on either side of Tony, sliding his cock against Tony’s before placing one hand on Tony’s chest. Steve leaned downward to suck Tony’s nipples before resting on top of him again to grind against his body more directly.

Tony moaned. “Fuck, I’m definitely going to come, baby.” He placed both hands on Steve’s neck.

Steve nodded to indicate that he was also close, hugging Tony’s body with both hands as he began to grind faster against his body. Tony gasped then groaned as he came, prompting Steve to do the same. Steve stayed on top of him, letting his body convulse a little as he came on Tony’s stomach.

Tony moaned as he continued to come, hugging Steve’s neck, tighter than usual from the feeling. Steve finished before lying next to Tony who was a mess from the both of them coming on his stomach.

Tony gasped a few times, rubbing his chest. He felt like his heart was about to explode again. Steve turned onto his side to rub Tony's chest.

“You’re so amazing, Tony…” Steve whispered, hugging Tony against his body.

Tony barely answered as he turned away from Steve but allowed him to hug his body against his own. He had trouble trying to formulate a sentence as the feeling in his chest started to make his eyes water unexpectedly.

Tony, shocked by his reaction, tried to hug the pillow underneath his head as his body overacted to being with Steve.

“…uh, so…” Tony sniffled a few times, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to get himself to calm down. He felt a hand slide around his waist.

“Are you okay, Tony?” Steve whispered against his ear.

Tony nodded a couple times, counting to himself in his head. He thought maybe he should talk to Steve about the upcoming trip to the Hamptons because surely that was the reason why he was overly emotional.

_Fuck…_Tony swore in his head. He felt Steve hold onto him even tighter.

“Uh, nothing…I’m just…tired…” He half admitted to himself and Steve.

Tony waited with anticipation, hoping Steve would just let the situation be. After a moment, he felt Steve nod his head against his neck before kissing his skin.

“…okay, let’s get some sleep…” Steve whispered back, kissing the back of Tony’s head before settling.

Tony nodded, clenching his chest, counting to himself to calm down until the pain seemingly subsided. Steve held onto him, which appeared to ease his body somewhat. After a moment, Tony finally calmed down enough to sleep with Steve still holding him.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say that I'm so grateful so many people are continuing to read this story and enjoying it! 
> 
> I'll provide summaries after this is completed (can't give away spoilers!), but I'm currently writing the next two installments to this series: one a short story and the other will be a direct sequel to Synergy. I've also figured out the rest of this series, so please stay tuned!
> 
> Love you all,  
ladyslice

The following day, Tony was eating lunch with Rhodey at a diner a few blocks down the street from Stark Tower. Rhodey was in town for a few days before he needed to fly back to Washington, D.C. for an assignment with the government.

“So, did you hear from Bruce about his date?”

Tony shook his head. “Uh, no. Wasn’t it last night? Please don’t tell me he blew it.” He joked.

Rhodey laughed. “He sent me a message last night that it went well and they’re planning for round two in the near future. He didn’t send you anything?”

Tony slapped his forehead with a groan, nodding as he retrieved his phone from his pants pocket. He had missed several messages since last night, having been so caught up with his emotions and Steve that he forgot to check his phone until that early afternoon.

“Yeah…I was busy last night…” Tony croaked as he put his phone away.

Rhodey chuckled. “Oh yeah? How’s Steve?” He leered, leaning forward across the table.

Tony sighed. He looked away from his friend, trying to find something interesting to rest his eyes on; he wasn’t sure if he should tell Rhodey about last night. However, after letting out one more sigh, Tony turned slowly to face Rhodey who now looked concerned.

“Please don’t turn this into a bigger deal than it already is, but…” Tony shook his head as he leaned backward in the booth.

Rhodey blinked a few times, confused by Tony’s change in attitude. “What, Tone?”

Tony groaned loudly. “I, uh…,” he leaned forward as the volume in his voice dropped, “I…cried…after…having sex with Steve last night…”

Rhodey nodded slowly as his expression change slightly. He then smiled, but only a bit to reassure his friend.

“Tony, you are the most kind-hearted person I know.” Rhodey genuinely offered, causing Tony to groan again.

“Shut the fuck up, Rhodes.” Tony attempted as he sat back in the booth, but he couldn’t help being moved by Rhodey’s comforting comment.

“This is why I can’t tell you anything.” Tony added with a sneer.

Rhodey laughed, but his gaze lingered on Tony. “Tone, don’t fight it. Steve’s good for you and vice versa.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “I said _not_ to make this into a bigger deal than it already is, Rhodes.” He wagged a finger at Rhodey before settling, taking his time to look directly at him.

“...but thanks…I really appreciate that…” Tony finally let out, smiling back.

“…uh, having Steve around means a lot…and he’s great with Peter.” He casually shrugged.

Rhodey nodded but didn’t add anything. Tony could tell that his friend was waiting for him to say something more about Steve, but Tony couldn’t say out loud that he thought maybe he was in love in Steve; saying it out loud, even to Rhodey, would make everything all too real and terrifying.

After a moment, their waitress come up to their table with their food orders. Rhodey and Tony then chatted for a while as they ate. After discussing some surface level business as it related to Synergy, Rhodey leaned forward during a pause, hanging his head low.

“Uh, you all right, Rhodes?” Tony asked, taking a sip out of his water glass.

Rhodey nodded but he smiled at Tony. “Yeah, I’m fine…uh, so…would you be weird if I asked Pepper out on a date?”

Tony perked up. “Pepper Potts?”

Rhodey chuckled nervously as he straightened up in the booth. “Yes, Tone. How many people do we know who go by the name ‘Pepper’?”

Before responding, Tony sat back in the booth once more; he had been sure that the moment he heard Pepper had started seeing someone else, the idea would destroy him, but now it barely fazed him. Actually, the more he thought about it, as he felt his face morph into a sincere smile, the idea made him happy for both of his friends.

“Rhodes! I don’t mind at all!” And Tony nearly surprised himself with his reaction.

Rhodey looked relieved. “Thanks, Tony. That means a lot to me.”

Tony waved Rhodey off as he continued to smile. “Of course. I just want to see my friends happy.”

Rhodey smiled back but his face turned solemn again. “I’m sorry I can’t go with you to the house…you know I would if I didn’t have to be in D.C.—”

“Rhodes, it’s more than fine. I know that,” Tony shook his head a few times as he interrupted Rhodey, “and Banner is a fine substitute.” He tried, half-grimacing as he thought about the upcoming weekend.

“I’m pretty sure I was a big baby last night because of the trip.” Tony attempted to joke, but Rhodey frowned.

“Tone—”

Tony shook his head again. “I said it’s fine, Rhodes. Let’s drop it, okay? I’m trying to enjoy the rest of my weekend.” He grinned.

Rhodey nodded slowly, making it clear that he wanted to give Tony a moment. However, Tony ignored Rhodey before switching the conversation back to Synergy as best as he could, but now all he could think about was seeing his family’s house out in the Hamptons for the first time in the longest time.

* * *

_A few days later…_

Later in the evening after work, Steve and Bucky had walked together to the local drug store. As soon as they entered, Steve quickly headed toward the back of the store.

“I’m just going to grab a few things and I’ll meet you at the front, okay?”

“Yep, sure!” Steve heard Bucky shout behind him.

Steve traveled through the aisles until he reached the pharmacy. He walked up to the counter, looking around anxiously for a free technician.

“Excuse me,” Steve cleared his throat, “I have a prescription I need to pick up.”

“Last name?” A technician asked as she acknowledged Steve.

Steve cleared his throat again. “Rogers.”

The technician nodded as she turned around to find Steve’s prescription. Steve eagerly waited at the counter, looking behind himself, hoping Bucky stayed near the front of the store.

“Here it is, Mr. Rogers.” The technician handed Steve a bag before asking for his insurance information. Steve gave the technician the information, but just as he was about to sign his signature, he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder.

“Whatcha got there, Cap?”

Steve cringed, trying to hold the bag behind his back as he turned to face Bucky who had the widest grin on his face.

“Why did I come with you to the store if you’re just going to be all weird and secretive?” Bucky joked.

Steve shook his head. “Buck, you begged to come along with me.”

Bucky laughed. “That’s beside the point. You’re still acting weird,” he stepped toward Steve, simpering, “so, whatcha got _there_, Cap?” He repeated.

Steve winced as he tried to hide the bag more behind his back, but he was sure Bucky had already seen what he was hiding.

Bucky kept grinning, looking at what Steve had behind his back before looking directly at Steve.

“Steve, why are you being so shy around me? I had no_ idea_ you were into anal.” He sneered.

Steve’s eyes widened as his face immediately reddened. He stuck out an arm to walk around Bucky, but Bucky stopped him.

“Oh, come on, Cap. I’m just giving you a _hard_ time…but I’m sure Tony doesn’t have any issues there…”

Steve groaned as he pushed his friend’s arm away but Bucky kept up with him, now laughing loudly.

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. Relax, Steve.” But he couldn’t stop himself from laughing as Steve’s face turned even more red.

Ever since he tried fingering with Tony, Steve couldn’t get the feeling out of his mind and he thought maybe he could try taking things further. He read up on what he needed to do to prepare himself for such an undertaking and was now waiting for the right moment to talk to Tony about it.

Bucky’s laughter subsided as it became clear Steve hadn’t appreciated his comments. “I’m sorry, Steve. Who would have thought that you would be the one getting the all the action nowadays?” He smiled, but something about his expression seemed off to Steve.

Steve sighed. “Just trying something new.” Was all he could manage, wanting to get out of the store as quickly as possible.

Bucky laughed again as he patted Steve on the shoulder. “But I’m glad to know that you’re taking care of yourself. As long as you do that, you can have all the fun you want.”

Bucky then looked around before slapping Steve on the ass with his bionic arm, causing his friend to yelp loudly as the few people standing between the aisles and the pharmacy technician turned to gawk at them.

Steve’s face flushed as he jogged to the front of the store, but Bucky took his time following him, laughing all the way up to the register, out the store, and back to their apartment, while also giving Steve flack for keeping him in the dark about his evolving sex life.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

_“Our world is becoming more unmanageable and destructive by the minute. No longer can we rely on traditional methods to protect and sustain ourselves and our fellow people. This calls for alternative methods…” _

Thanos had his daughters meet him in his office later that evening. As soon as they arrived, he was sitting at his desk watching a recording of the Synergy promotional event Steve and Tony had given in Berlin. Thanos cackled to himself as he listened; Gamora and Nebula were standing on the other side of the desk, annoyed with their father’s developing obsession with Synergy.

_“…Synergy has the ability to replicate any material possible due to its vibranium core…” _

Thanos paused the recording, still laughing to himself.

Gamora tapped the desk a few times to interrupt her father’s boisterous laughter. “We’ll have to choose the right venue. We can’t let what happened at that precinct happen again.” She reminded her family.

Thanos let out a dramatic sigh as he swiveled in his chair to face his daughters. He delicately folded his hands in his lap without responding.

“This weapon is the most improved version,” Nebula began, “so it’ll get the job done no matter what, Gamora.”

Gamora rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, and Thanos nodded slowly before finally responding.

“Yes, in due time, the perfect spot to unleash my creation will reveal itself. Stane has reassured me that he’s close to taking control of Synergy.”

Both Gamora and Nebula nodded. Thanos swiveled in his chair to face his computer monitor.

“Leave me. I need time to think.”

Both Gamora and Nebula looked at each other, both signaling to the other that they had wished their father had sent them an email instead of calling them to his office to only remain coy concerning any concrete information for their plans.

Gamora left the office first, followed by Nebula. Nebula walked ahead of her sister, but Gamora stopped her as soon as they were a few feet away from the office.

“We need to keep an eye on this...I can feel it getting out of control. You know how he gets.” Gamora said coolly.

Nebula looked down at her sister’s hand on her arm before yanking away. “Don’t let father hear you say that. He’ll get rid of you before Stane.” She answered sharply.

Nebula spun around as she marched down the hallway away from Gamora who was left standing alone, mentally fighting with herself over the current state of their father’s mission to build a super weapon that would destroy and kill millions…

* * *

_At the end of the week…_

Bruce and Steve were standing in the former’s lab one afternoon. Earlier that morning, Bruce had sent Steve an email to meet with him to discuss picking up his tasks with Thor and Shuri as Bruce would be out of town that weekend. Steve also hadn’t seen Tony at all that morning, but he had figured that Tony was busy with administrative-related tasks.

“I hope my notes are clear,” Bruce handed Steve a tablet, “but you’ll be able to figure all this out. You’re so quick with the device that I have no doubt you’ll be able to pick up assembling specs with Thor and Shuri in case of an emergency.”

Steve smiled as he accepted the tablet. “Thank you for that mountain of confidence, Dr. Banner.”

Bruce grinned as he rested his hands on his hips. “Also, please just call me Bruce, Steve. Not only are we work colleagues, you’re seeing one of my best friends.”

Steve laughed as he tapped the tablet a few times to look through Bruce’s notes. “Well I appreciate that, too.” He turned slightly before addressing Bruce again.

“Speaking of which, have you spoken to Tony at all today? We were supposed to grab lunch, but I couldn’t reach him. I figured he got caught up with something in another lab or is stuck answering calls in his office.”

Bruce glanced at Steve as he grabbed another tablet to scroll through data. “Oh, you know, he’s probably trying to keep himself busy before the trip this weekend.”

Steve stopped what he was doing. “What trip?

“What?” Bruce looked at Steve, “wait, don’t you know?”

Steve shook his head. “Don’t know what?”

Bruce stared at Steve. “Tony didn’t tell you?”

“Didn’t tell me what, Bruce? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Steve responded.

Steve watched Bruce sigh heavily as he removed his glasses before leaning up against a table. Steve could tell that Bruce was uncomfortable with the conversation which made him feel exceedingly uncomfortable.

“Goddammit, Tony…” Bruce took a deep, harsh breath before explaining, “…I’m going with Tony to his parent’s house out in the Hamptons this weekend. He’s finally clearing out some of the family heirlooms…he hasn’t been there in ages and asked me to go with him for emotional support…”

As Bruce explained, Steve increasingly felt sick to his stomach to the point that he thought he was close to throwing up from the feeling. He thought he had made progress with Tony, especially after the argument over Bucky; they shared everything and had become more than physically close. It confused him as to why Tony wouldn’t even mention the trip.

Bruce sighed once more as he crossed his arms. Steve stood firm, but he felt like he might double over in pain from hearing that Tony didn’t trust him like he thought he had. He inhaled deeply as he stood up a bit straighter, considering maybe Tony felt more comfortable with someone who had known him longer than he had.

“It would make sense that he would take you…or Colonel Rhodes even if he were here…I have to remind myself that we haven’t known each other that long…” Steve tried to rationalize Tony’s behavior out loud, but he struggled trying to come to terms with it.

Bruce shuffled back and forth on his feet; Steve could tell that Tony’s decision to bring him instead bothered him also.

“I’m sorry he didn’t even say anything to you. I know he’s going through a lot, but he should have said something at least.” Bruce walked toward Steve before stopping short.

Steve shook his head as he continued to process Tony’s reasoning. “It’s okay. I’m trying not to push him. I know he needs space.”

Bruce took a moment before putting his glasses back on. “I get why would you say that, but Steve, Tony’s been more open with you than he has with any of his friends, and that’s including me and Rhodey and he’s known Rhodey since college."

Steve nodded, but the statement didn’t make him feel any better.

“…and I know there’s no competition between the two of you, but Tony didn’t even talk about his family with Pepper. Not the way he has with you…he told me.” Bruce finished, trying to smile at Steve who was sure he looked miserable.

Steve nodded a few times, trying to force down a lump in his throat as he attempted to read through Bruce’s notes on his tablet.

“I really appreciate that. But he probably just needs a close friend right now…I can always talk to him when you guys get back…”

Bruce nodded slowly as he shuffled around awkwardly. “I’ll mention something—just that I told you. I won’t make a big deal out of it.”

Steve nodded back before he turned around to walk to a console, but he still felt sick to his stomach and wanted to avoid looking dejected in front of Bruce.

“Thanks, Bruce.” Steve answered quietly.

Bruce waited a second before going back to describing his lab work to Steve, but Steve could hardly pay attention as he thought about Tony closing off to him.

* * *

_Later that day…_

Tony was in sitting his office, pretending to look through some documents Pepper had sent him that he needed to sign. He groaned loudly to himself as memories of the Hamptons house during his childhood kept popping into his head. The memories were then followed by the last argument he had with his dad before his parents died.

_I don’t know how the fuck I’m going to get through this…_Tony sighed to himself, tossing a manila envelope to one side of his desk.

Tony told himself that looking through wayward emails would probably be the best way to take his mind off the upcoming weekend. He faced his desktop as he scrolled through newly received messages before looking through messages he had flagged “important” to read later. After answering one email to a company investor, a new email popped into his inbox; it was addressed from Justin Hammer.

_How the hell did Hammer get my email address?_ Tony wondered to himself, debating whether he should even open the email whose subject line read: “PLEASE READ! THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU'LL EVER READ!”

Tony sighed as he clicked on the message. He had barely gotten through Hammer’s usual annoying platitudes when there was a knock at his door.

“Come in.” Tony called, leaning back in his chair with another sigh.

The office door popped open slightly before Bruce’s head appeared.

“Hey, Tony. Are you busy?”

Tony shook his head as he motioned for Bruce to take a seat in front of his desk.

“Actually, I’m glad you’re here, Banner. I think we should start out as early as possible,” Tony shuffled some files on his desk, “the quicker we get in, the quicker we can get out.”

“So,” Bruce started, wringing his hands together,” I really hate to do this, Tony…but I mixed up the dates for this trip…”

It felt like Tony’s insides were boiling. “Are you fucking kidding me, Banner? I had asked you _twice_ to confirm.”

Bruce hung his head low before looking back up at Tony. “I’m so sorry, Tony, but I had promised a colleague of mine that I would attend a conference this weekend. I thought it was next weekend.”

Tony groaned. “I already told the owner I was coming _this_ weekend, Banner. I can’t switch up the plans now.”

Tony continued to grumble as Bruce waited a bit before answering. “Hey,” he started with a shrug, “why don’t you take Steve?”

Tony winced, waving Bruce off. “Steve isn’t going to want to deal with me blubbering over my lost childhood.”

Bruce shook his head a few times. “What would make you say that? Why don’t you ask him? You may be pleasantly surprised.” He tried, attempting not to make it obvious that he had already discussed the trip with Steve.

Tony rolled his eyes, but Bruce continued. “If for some strange reason Steve turns you down, I’ll cancel on my colleague, okay?”

“You should just do that now, Banner.” Tony leaned back into his chair with a huff.

Bruce smiled as he leaned forward. “Just ask Steve. I’m pretty sure he’ll go with you.”

Tony groaned. “Fine, whatever.”

Bruce waited before rising out of his chair. He smiled downward at Tony. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you’re stronger than you think, Tony. And I think having Steve with you will only help.”

Tony looked up at his friend who was still smiling at him. He tried reciprocating, but his expression was pained. He groaned again, lounging as far as he could in his chair.

“Yeah, whatever, Banner.”

Bruce never let his smile fade as he turned around to exit the office.

“Hey, Banner?” Bruce stopped to turn around to face Tony.

“Thanks,” Tony shrugged, “…I really needed that.”

Bruce nodded before exiting the office. Tony sighed to himself, now swiveling in his chair. He looked at his monitor, tapping on the armrest of the chair a few times before launching himself out of the chair to search for Steve in their lab.

* * *

As Tony approached the lab, he saw Steve working at one of the consoles. He took a deep breath before entering the lab.

“Good afternoon, Sir.” J.A.R.V.I.S. greeted, causing Steve to turn around to acknowledge Tony.

“Hey, Rogers.” Tony began, sliding his hands into his pockets.

Steve smiled. “I thought you would be busy all day, so it’s really great to see you.”

Tony tried to smile back, thinking back to when he became emotional after being with Steve. He coughed a few times, shuffling back and forth on his feet.

“So, I know this is super last minute, but…” Tony fumbled a bit before continuing, “…I have to go to a house my folks used to own out in the Hamptons this weekend…I probably should have told you about it, now that I think about it…”

Steve nodded. He was crossing his arms now and Tony could tell he was waiting patiently for him to continue.

“…I, uh, meant to tell you last weekend…but, uh,” Tony ran a hand through his hair, “…I have to go out there to appraise some shit…or whatever…” He then crossed both arms before waving a hand around. He was sure he looked uncomfortable.

“Banner was supposed to go with me, but something came up…” Tony looked directly at Steve, “…would you like to come along instead? I understand if you don’t want to…”

“Of course, Tony.” Steve began with a widening smile, “I would love to come with you.”

Tony couldn’t stop himself from expressing how surprised he was by Steve’s response. “Really? Uh, I mean…that’s great!”

Steve nodded, approaching Tony slowly. “I know how important this is to you, Tony, so I’ll do whatever you need me to do…I care about you.” He offered quietly, finally meeting Tony.

Tony nodded back, swallowing a lump in his throat as he let Steve take a hold of his waist as he pulled in him close. Steve closed his eyes and leaned downward somewhat, kissing Tony as he moved one hand to caress his cheek. They kissed each other for some time; and the urge to confess to Steve that he loved him reared its annoying head once more.

Tony held onto Steve tighter, commanding himself to take it easy. Steve barely noticed as he continued to kiss him, taking his time.

Tony placed a hand on Steve’s chest, looking up at him. “Thanks...Steve…uh…let’s leave early tomorrow…we can make up lab work later in the week…”

Steve nodded as he leaned inward to kiss Tony again. Tony grimaced through the kiss as he felt his chest constricting, but then Steve holding him seemed to calm his body to degree, enough not to fidget uncomfortably.

Steve pulled away to look at Tony sweetly. “That sounds good, Tony.” He answered softly.

Tony nodded, holding onto Steve’s arms, looking away as Steve gave him a firm hug before finally letting go. Tony cleared his throat and straightened his clothes out as Steve smiled at him before turning to walk over to a worktable.

“I can pick you up from your place then we can take Peter over to May’s.” Tony finished, dizzy from the kiss.

Steve glanced at Tony with a smile. “Sounds great, but I can meet you here before dropping off Peter, so you don’t have to make so many trips.”

Tony nodded as he tried not to look so awkward from how thoughtful Steve was being. “Uh, yeah. Good idea, Rogers.” He cleared his throat again.

Tony turned to face the entrance of the lab. “Uh, I’m going to grab a few things from my office, okay? I’ll be back before you leave.”

Tony hurried out of the lab, barely hearing Steve respond. He hustled back to his office, shutting the door behind him as he entered. He looked around the office, as if searching for something that would stop his heart from exploding. He counted to himself, closing his eyes as he breathed deeply.

He then calmly walked over to his desk to call May about their plans, now seeming more relaxed and relieved that Steve would be there with him.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😉😉

“…my dad _always_ insisted that he drive us to the house…we had a driver, of course, but he never had him drive us out here, even though it made perfect sense to do so…”

Steve rode in the passenger seat, listening to Tony, as they drove to the house in the Hamptons. Steve had never been to this part of Long Island before; he marveled at the rolling landscape as they drove along. And although Tony appeared calm, ever since they dropped Peter off earlier that day, Steve could tell that he was not at ease.

“…I always sat in the front with my dad, which means my mother always sat in the back…I once overheard them discussing that I should learn the route to the house for when it came time for me to take care of it…”

Steve watched Tony glance over at him quickly before looking back at the road. “I’m sorry…I’m rambling…”

Steve shook his head as he rubbed Tony’s thigh. “No, it’s okay, Tony. I’m just listening.”

Steve had told himself that he needed to remain as calm as possible for Tony during the entire trip; although he was aware that Tony had some lingering issues that related to his relationship with his father, Steve wasn’t sure what he would find or possibly encounter while staying with Tony at house.

Tony looked at Steve before facing the road again. “Thank you again for coming with me…it’s a lot to ask for, but—”

“Tony, it’s okay,” Steve shook his head as he tightened his grasp on Tony’s thigh, “I’m glad you asked me to go.”

Tony kept his eyes on the road as he smiled, albeit timidly. They sat in silence for a while longer; Steve figured that Tony would talk to him when he wanted to so he kept the conversation to a minimum and would only contribute if Tony initiated.

After some time passed, they came upon a winding driveway and a property covered with trees that had been orderly planted. Steve could see through the tress that the driveway led to a nicely sized, Modern house set quite a ways away from the main road. The driveway was unusable; the current owner was repaving it to restore it to the version it had been when Tony was a kid.

Tony stopped the car as he turned onto the driveway, pulling out his car keys from the ignition, before sitting completely silent.

Steve looked at Tony then back at the house, telling himself to give Tony some time. Suddenly, Tony groaned loudly to himself as he motioned for Steve to exit the car with him.

“Okay,” Tony pushed the driver’s seat door open in a huff, “let’s get this the fuck over with.” He muttered as he walked to the back of the car to retrieve their overnight bags from the backseat.

Steve took his time following Tony, attempting to take both bags, but Tony wouldn’t let him carry his.

“Relax, Rogers. I can carry my own bag.” Tony tried with a grin, but Steve could tell that he was most likely covering up how uncomfortable he felt.

Steve nodded wordlessly as he grabbed his bag, letting Tony walk ahead of him. They walked down the driveway until they were a few feet away from the house. As they approached, Steve couldn’t stop staring at the design of the house; it looked like something on the cover of an architecture magazine.

“Oh wow, Tony. This is amazing.”

Tony sighed as he removed his sunglasses. “Yeah the current owner wants to turn it into a house museum or something,” he turned slightly to look around the property, “even through there are _far _better stories to be told. No one is ever going to forget Howard Stark.” He then walked briskly toward the house.

Steve followed him, waiting for Tony to find his copy of the house keys before letting them inside. As soon as they entered, they were met with a lingering moth ball scent which was accompanied by a visual array of antique and modern-looking furniture covered in plastic and cloth sheets ahead of them. Steve looked around as Tony walked to the kitchen: the space ahead of the foyer looked like the living room which had a fire place in the middle; on the right of the living room was a small space that connected to the kitchen and then to what looked to be the dining room. Steve looked to his left to see a hallway that probably lead to more rooms.

“This place is a fucking mess,” Tony began with a sigh, “it looks like the owner hasn’t been inside in a while.” He was now standing in the kitchen, searching through some boxes.

Steve nodded as he took his time entering the kitchen. He watched Tony looked through one box then another.

Steve leaned up against a counter. “Tony, we don’t have to do this now…you’ve been driving for a while…why don’t you take a break?”

Tony glanced at Steve but continued to rummage through the boxes. To Steve, he already looked emotionally drained.

“No, I want to look through a few boxes just to give me an idea on how to go about appraising this shit.”

Steve nodded quickly. “Okay, how can I help?”

Tony sighed again as he stopped what he was doing to rest his hands on his hips. He surveyed the kitchen before looking at Steve.

“I guess we can divide and conquer.” Tony walked past Steve to point to the living room, “why don’t you see what’s in the living room and I’ll hang out in here. Just separate things and I’ll take a look at them when you’re done.” He patted Steve on the shoulder before returning to the box he was rifling through prior.

“If you find anything interesting, just give me a holler.” He added without looking back at Steve.

Steve nodded again before turning around to walk into the living room, spotting a few boxes stacked in the middle of the space up against the fireplace. The living room had more than enough furniture in it, and there were a few paintings off to the side underneath a cloth sheet with one painting sticking out. Steve squinted to see that the painting looked to be a wispy depiction of a coastline somewhere. The room was also lined with half-filled floor-to-ceiling bookcases, with more books at the foot of the cases. There was also a record player in one corner, half covered in plastic with some records stacked next to it.

Steve walked to the middle of the space near the fireplace. He crouched down once he approached the boxes, hesitating before opening one. Once he finally dusted the flaps off to open a box, he found another stack of albums and a bundle of papers tied together. Steve carefully removed the albums, looking through them before moving the papers aside. Immediately, he eyed what looked to be a jewelry box at the bottom of the box.

“Hey, Tony. Look at this.” He called, dusting the box off with one hand.

Tony walked into the living room before crouching down near Steve. “Oh, that looks like my mother’s jewelry box…” He said quietly as Steve handed him the box.

Steve watched Tony stare at the box for a second or so before slowly opening it. He delicately moved some pieces around before handing the box back to Steve with a smile, although his expression was weary.

“Obviously, this is something you would like to keep.” Steve smiled back at Tony.

Tony nodded without responding verbally. Steve rubbed his shoulder before opening the box again.

“Oh wow…” Steve pulled out an intricate looking ring, “this is beautiful.”

Tony coughed before answering. “Yeah, it used to belong to my mother’s father…been in the family for years…”

Steve nodded, turning the ring around in the palm of his hand. He admired it once more before absent-mindedly slipping the ring on one finger. He glanced over at Tony who had been watching him the entire time.

“Uh,” Tony started with another cough, “that looks really good on you…”

Steve blushed instantly, taking the ring off quickly to place back into the jewelry box; he wasn’t sure how to respond, although the comment made him feel warm inside.

Even though Tony had initially kept the trip away from him, Steve still felt close to him, close enough to consider their relationship serious although they hadn’t said anything out loud. Steve wanted to have that conversation but knew better not to bring it up while Tony was dealing with his past childhood trauma that weekend.

Without more comment, Tony coughed again as he got up to walk back to the kitchen to look through more boxes. They remained silent for some time until Steve found another box with a diary hidden underneath a mound of papers.

“Rogers, it might be best to start a pile of shit I’m definitely throwing out and things to keep. Maybe a pile to reassess items…” Tony was calling for Steve from the other side of the kitchen.

Steve barely responded as he carefully stacked the papers to the side to retrieve the diary. Tony continued to give instructions as Steve stood up with the diary, carrying it over to the kitchen for Tony to assess.

“What about this?” Steve held the diary out for Tony to look at.

Tony turned slightly, looking downward at the diary, taking some time before shaking his head quickly.

“That goes into the shit pile.” He answered sharply before turning back to a box.

Steve waited behind Tony before placing the diary on a countertop with some junk items Tony had started piling up. Tony tossed a box to the floor before walking into the dining room.

“Okay, so let’s scan what’s in here, then we can order something to eat.” Tony called from the room.

Steve looked toward the direction of the dining room, making sure Tony couldn’t see him. Without further hesitation, he grabbed the diary from the pile of junk, walking briskly to his overnight bag to place the diary inside underneath his clothes.

And without really considering the ramifications of his decision, Steve thought there was something in that diary that could help him understand and calm Tony’s emotions during their stay. Steve knew that Tony’s reaction was based on the initials “H.S.” etched into the cover of the diary, but Steve was determined to find any clue to Tony’s relationship with his father.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

After looking through some items in the dining room and the living room, Tony and Steve were sitting in the middle of the living room next to the fireplace, eating a pizza they had ordered.

“Okay, so you were making gadgets since you were a kid? That’s so impressive.” Steve awed as he chewed on a slice.

Tony nodded with a chuckle. “I suppose you can call them that. My dad always had shit lying around from his experiments, so I would just put together whatever I could get my hands on.”

Steve laughed. “I could only imagine.”

Tony returned the laughter as he waved a hand around. “One time, when I was in high school, I had this experiment running in this room…”

Tony then moved a paper plate and the pizza box to the side, grabbing a few random items near him to visually demonstrate his story for Steve.

“…I had spent Christmas break here because my parents went to Europe for vacation or whatever…” The memory seemed upsetting to Tony, yet he persisted with his narration.

“…I was working on something for a school competition and I got a _little_ carried away,” he winked at Steve which earned him a hearty laugh, “anyway, I forgot that my parents were planning to come back to the house before driving back to the city, so they found the living room and the kitchen nearly torn apart…I also won the competition, but I guess that's beside the point.” Tony grinned.

Steve nodded with a timid smile as it appeared that something else was on Tony’s mind.

“…my parents were pissed, obviously…they wanted to spend the night here before going back…” Tony stood up to walk over to the record player.

“…when I was a lot younger…when we would spend more time here…I remember sneaking out of my room at night to watch my parents dance in the living room…”

Tony looked downward at the record player, removing its plastic covering before reaching for a few records next to it. He fumbled around a bit until he found what he was looking for, sliding the record out of its case before placing it on the player. Steve watched Tony as the record began playing Diana Ross’s “You Are Everything”.

Tony chuckled. “Uh, they were dancing to this one night…I only remember because my mother said it was one of her favorites…”

As the record spun around, Tony stood next to the player, tapping on it a few times with one finger, appearing to be thinking deeply. Steve continued to watch him before rising from the floor. He walked over to Tony, placing both hands on his waist.

“Remember the first time we danced, Tony?” Steve whispered.

Tony turned around with a grin, sliding his arms around Steve’s waist. “Yeah, at that god-awful board event at the penthouse.” He laughed.

Steve chuckled before tilting his chin downward to kiss Tony. He swayed a bit, leading Tony along with him. Tony held onto him before Steve suddenly spun him around. Tony laughed as Steve then quickly pulled him against his body. The tense atmosphere in the house dissipated as Steve shimmied against Tony to make him laugh which seemed to work because Tony appeared to be enjoying himself. They danced to a few more songs in the living room before calling it a night.

* * *

_Over an hour later…_

Tony didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in his old room or his parents’ room, so he and Steve decided to spend the night in one of the guest rooms attached to the dining room through a small hallway on the opposite side of the kitchen.

Steve emerged from the bathroom that was connected to the room with a towel wrapped around his waist while using another to dry his hair. Tony was lying in the bed wearing his reading glasses and tapping rapidly on a tablet. Steve smiled to himself, thinking about finally asking Tony if they could go further that night, but he wasn’t sure how to ask without sounding silly.

Steve lingered in the threshold of the bathroom door as Tony looked up at him with a smile. “You gonna come in, Rogers?”

Steve smiled back as he hung the towel he was using to dry his hair on a chair near the bed. He then walked to the other side of the bed, taking the towel wrapped around his waist off which earned a wide grin from Tony.

Tony nearly tossed his glasses and tablet on a bedside table. “You’re so sexy you manage to make an uncomfortably stressful environment erotic.” He teased.

Steve winced. “Sorry…” He knew Tony was joking but he didn’t want him to think he wasn’t taking the situation seriously.

Tony shook his head as he scooted against Steve to pull him down into the bed. “No, it’s more than all right, Rogers.”

Steve nodded back as he let Tony hug him against his body. Tony turned him over onto his back, moving on top of him as he kissed Steve deeply, feeling all along his body. Steve kissed Tony back, rubbing his backside as Tony pushed downward into his body.

Steve moved his head to the side as Tony continued to kiss him. He closed his eyes shut as he thought about asking Tony what had been on his mind the past week or so.

“Uh, Tony?” Steve said quietly, still rubbing Tony’s back.

Tony nodded. “What’s up?” He answered, resuming kissing Steve.

Steve sighed, trying to move underneath Tony so he could look at him directly.

“Ugh, I’m just going to say it.” Steve said quickly, already embarrassed.

Tony stopped what he was doing, making a face at Steve as he slid to lie next to him. “Uh—”

“Could I be on the…” Steve winced because he knew he was going to sound awkward, “…the, uh, _bottom_ this time…? He cringed, definitely feeling ridiculous.

Tony’s mouth popped opened slightly, looking quite surprised, before he broke out into an uproarious laughter which caused Steve’s face to turn even more red.

“Ugh, forget it.” Steve let out quickly, lying down flat in the bed, trying to pull the covers up to his neck, but Tony yanked on the blankets as he continued to laugh. Steve then tried to turn over onto his side to face away from Tony, but the latter pulled on his body to turn him back around, still laughing although subdued.

“I’m sorry, Steve. It was the way you asked.” Tony let out a self-satisfied sigh as he finally got Steve to look at him.

Steve glared at Tony but then his face relaxed somewhat as Tony reached over to rub his chest. “How else are you supposed to ask then?” Steve added, waving both hands around.

Steve turned his head to see that Tony was trying to keep a straight face but ultimately broke it with another fit of laughter, making Steve groan. Tony was laughing so much as this point that the bed shook from how outrageously loud his laugh was.

“Come on, Tony.” Steve begged, trying to turn away from Tony again who managed to prevent him by holding onto his arm.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I’ll stop. You’re so innocent and so sexy. I’m really sorry, but you are _so_ cute.” Tony responded as he finally settled.

Steve returned his glare at Tony. “I just wanted to try something different.”

Tony nodded with half a grin; Steve realized that he was trying to lighten up the mood.

“Well, I had no _idea_ you were into anal, Captain Rogers.” Tony winked at Steve and Steve winced again, thinking back to when Bucky poked fun at him at the pharmacy.

Steve groaned loudly. “Why does everyone think I’m this giant prude?”

Tony chuckled, but stopped quickly as Steve continued to glare. “It’s because you’re old-fashioned for someone your age and _way _too polite. Personally, I can’t get enough of it.” Tony grinned as he pointed to himself.

Steve sighed. “I’m not that polite.”

“You called me ‘Mr. Stark’ the first time we officially met.” Tony gently reminded Steve of the team’s orientation day at Stark Industries.

Steve threw his hands in the air with a huff. “Well, what was I supposed to call you when I first met you? I’m sorry I have manners.”

Tony laughed again, moving side to side, hugging his body as if his sides were on the verge of splitting from laughter.

Steve sighed again. “Tony, you’re making this more awkward than it already needs to be.”

Tony stopped laughing, wiping his eyes as he turned to face Steve. He kept his expression rigid to show that he was finally taking the conversation seriously.

“I’m sorry, Steve,” he scooted closer to Steve, reaching out a hand to caress his side, “remember the first time we did this and I told you I would like to fuck you if you wanted it?”

Steve’s face turned a shade of pink as he nodded.

“You hadn’t said anything since then, so I thought it was off the table. I’m glad it’s not.” Tony looked at Steve before moving inward to kiss him. Steve eased up and kissed him back.

After a moment or two, Tony pulled away from Steve. “But, I kind of wish you said something before we came out here…maybe we could try when we get back into town.” He offered, but he was smiling to indicate that he wasn’t upset with Steve mentioning the idea.

Steve scrunched up his face. “Why can’t we try tonight?”

Tony laughed quietly, looking downward before looking up to give Steve a coy grin. “Because, baby, you’ve never done this before and there’s a _whole_ ritual involved that includes literal and figurative prep, if you know what I mean.” He winked at Steve as he waved his hand about.

“I know that, Tony…I’ve been doing that for over the last week, actually…” Steve shifted a little to look at Tony directly, “that’s why I took a shower and I’ve already been taking the prescription…oh and,” Steve laughed to himself, “our work insurance covered all of it.”

Tony laughed. “I’m glad to know that the insurance we provide for our employees is top notch, but why didn’t you say anything? I would’ve gotten what you needed, since you’re, well, you know, with me.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Because, Tony, I don’t want you to have to do everything for me. Or anything…I’m not taking advantage of you.”

Tony shook his head. “You’re not taking advantage of me at all. Besides all the sex stuff, I would like to buy you things…I really don’t understand why you won’t let me be your sugar daddy.” He winked at Steve again, flaunting that alluring magnetism of his that first drew Steve to him.

Steve blushed as he tried to remember what he wanted to say but something about the way Tony was looking at him in the moment arrested his thinking process.

“Oh, well…Tony…”

Tony smiled as he moved inward to kiss Steve. Steve wrapped his arms around Tony’s body, pulling him close to his body. Tony kissed Steve as he rubbed his body with both hands.

“Okay,” Tony said through one last kiss, “turn over on your other side.”

Steve nodded meekly as he did what he was told. He felt Tony rub his shoulders with both hands before one hand travelled down his body, taking its time before Steve felt Tony gently squeeze his ass.

“…we’ll have to do a couple things to get you loosened up, baby…” Tony whispered.

Tony moved the hand on Steve’s ass to the front of Steve’s body, finding his semi-hard cock before stroking it gently. Steve nodded again, letting a moan escape as Tony took his time.

“…I’m going to fuck you with my fingers again…” Tony started in a lower whisper, “then when you get used to that, I’ll go further. Sounds okay?”

Steve nodded quickly, unable to really contribute verbally. He was moaning more now as he felt Tony rubbing his neck and his cock. Steve pushed back into Tony’s body, feeling himself ease more as Tony touched him longer. After a moment, Tony let go of Steve after kissing his neck.

“Ugh, sorry,” Steve heard Tony slap his forehead, “I was too into this and forgot about lube.”

Steve suddenly shuffled off the bed as he walked over to his overnight bag. He rummaged around until he found a tube of lube and a condom. He turned around and nervously held up the items for Tony to see.

Tony sat up in the bed. “Fuck, baby. I won’t ever doubt your level of preparedness ever again."

Steve chuckled as he awkwardly got back onto the bed and handed Tony the lube and the condom. Tony pulled Steve downward and kissed him before turning him back onto his side. Steve heard Tony open the tube and his breath hitched as he felt Tony squeeze his body again; he could feel his body reacting with anticipation as Tony took his time feeling him before entering a finger.

Steve closed his eyes shut, reminding himself to relax. He felt Tony feel from the outside before slowly pushing inward, prompting Steve to moan right on cue.

Tony chuckled. “Fuck, baby. I had no idea you were so into this…”

Steve gasped, having trouble trying to keep control over himself, as he pushed back onto Tony’s finger. Tony squirted lube on a second finger, entering that one in slowly as he used his free hand to hold Steve still. Steve moaned more as he felt both fingers, eagerly waiting for Tony to hit that spot again, reacting to Tony feeling inside of him.

Tony pumped his fingers in and out of Steve, scissoring them at one point, making Steve squirm each time with another moan. Tony kissed Steve’s neck, feeling his chest as best as he could with his free hand before slowly pulling out his fingers. Steve had been so caught up in the moment that he whined as soon as Tony pulled out.

Tony smacked Steve’s ass. “Okay, now lift up a bit. I’m going to make you more comfortable.”

Steve nodded, hugging the pillow next to him as he gasped a few times. He lifted his body as Tony placed a pillow underneath him.

“Does this feel all right?” Tony whispered, hugging Steve again, “just in case you roll over some more…”

Steve nodded before turning his head to kiss Tony. Tony kissed him back, slapping his ass again, kneading it with both hands before settling on Steve’s hips.

“So, before I go all the way in, I can’t touch your cock, even though I really want to…” Tony massaged Steve’s hips, “I guess it’ll make you tense.” He kissed Steve as he pushed himself forward.

“…but I’ll touch you after you get use to me…” Tony whispered into Steve’s ear. Steve moaned just from the feeling of Tony rubbing his hips and the tone in his voice.

“I’m going to just hang out for a bit before ramming the shit out of you because ‘a’, you’re soft and cute and ‘b’, it won’t be fun for either of us if you get hurt. But mostly it’s because you’re soft and cute.”

Steve nodded again as he pushed back into Tony’s hard cock. Tony smacked his ass and Steve heard the tube of lube snap open again.

“…the first time I ever did this…” Tony began, “…the person I was with hurt me and I don’t ever want to do that to you, Steve.”

Steve swallowed; he knew Tony was referring to the guy he had been in a terrible relationship with when he was younger. Steve slowly turned around on his other side to face Tony.

“I know you wouldn’t, Tony…” He responded quietly, placing both hands on Tony’s face before kissing him.

Tony kissed Steve back before Steve let go to turn around. Tony massaged Steve’s backside and hips once more before spreading Steve apart, pushing into him slightly. Steve felt Tony enter and immediately his body tensed up.

Tony stopped pushing and rubbed Steve’s side. “Just relax, baby. I got you.”

Steve nodded as he felt Tony rub his body a bit longer before trying again. Feeling Tony inside of him like this was more than Steve had ever experienced. He told himself to relax as Tony stayed put, rubbing his ass and spreading him further apart, whispering how much he cared about him and how beautiful he thought he was.

Steve’s body relaxed as he let Tony touch him. He finally felt his body melt into the mattress as Tony took it as a sign to push in further. Steve moaned loudly as Tony went in slowly before speeding up. He pushed up against Steve.

“Oh my fucking god, Steve. You feel amazing.” Tony let out, ramming harder into Steve.

Steve continued to moan with unrestrained pleasure as he turned more into the mattress. Tony turned with him, spreading his ass cheeks even further apart as he pushed downward in Steve. Steve felt Tony place a hand on the small of his back and both legs on either side of his body.

“Tony…oh my god…Tony…” Steve whined, holding a pillow underneath his head.

Tony continued in and out of him, groaning with every movement. Steve moaned as he felt his body push into the mattress; he could feel himself coming near the edge, and the feeling was unbelievable. Steve gasped and moaned, losing himself as Tony fucked him. He reached downward to feel himself, but then stopped. He then felt a hand on his cock as Tony stroked him and fucked him at the same time.

“Jesus…fuck, baby.” Tony groaned. He stopped stroking Steve to reposition himself and Steve quickly reached downward to feel himself.

"Tony..." Steve couldn’t help himself; he felt his body give in as Tony thrust into him.

“I’m gonna come, Steve…” Tony said, releasing himself into Steve who kept calling for Tony as he came onto the mattress.

Tony groaned, pushing faster as he came into Steve. Steve moaned as he felt a slick sensation inside of him, but as soon as Tony pulled out and laid on top of him, Steve felt a familiar sudden emptiness and immediately thought he had an accident.

“Oh my god! Tony!” Steve quickly turned over onto his back, nearly shoving Tony to the side of the bed.

“What? What’s wrong?” Tony asked, looking terrified.

Steve searched around as he lifted his ass to look underneath. He sighed as he laid back down in the bed. “I’m sorry…I thought I—”

But before Steve could finish, Tony burst out into laughter again. He laughed loudly to himself as he slapped the edge of the bed.

“I’m sorry,” he wiped his eyes which were wet again from laughing too hard, “I should have told you what it feels like the first time after I pull my dick out.”

Steve groaned loudly, using the pillow that had been underneath his body to hide his face. Tony kept laughing as he laid down next to Steve to hug his body.

“Steve, you are so hot even when you’re embarrassed.” Tony chuckled, trying to get Steve to let go of the pillow.

Steve finally gave the pillow up as he let Tony kiss him. “Was it okay?” He asked quietly.

Tony grinned. “Was it okay?” he repeated, “that was _the_ hottest fuck I’ve ever experienced. You are so _fucking _chatty, baby.”

Steve grimaced. “S-sorry…”

Tony laughed once more, but then he relaxed. “It was hot, relax, Rogers…and…don’t apologize and don’t ever feel embarrassed when you’re with me…especially when we’re like this…”

Steve nodded, finally taking it easy, kissing Tony. He turned some more onto his side to hug Tony.

“That felt really good…” Steve breathed out.

“Yeah I know, I heard you.” Tony teased.

Steve groaned as he pushed away from Tony, tossing a pillow at him.

“Hey!” Tony caught the pillow with a laugh before grabbing Steve at the waist. Steve let Tony drag his body to his side of the bed, but then turned around to pin Tony down. They wrestled around with each other before their playful back and forth turning into heavy making out, with Steve on top of Tony, grinding against his body.

Tony put his hands on Steve’s shoulders to get him to hold up. “…I know I already said this, but…thanks for being here…with me…”

Steve nodded, leaning in to kiss Tony before lying down next to him. “Of course, Tony.” He then hugged Tony against his body as they drifted off to sleep.


	34. Chapter 34

_In the early hours of the morning…_

An unexpected force nearly launched Steve out of the bed. He woke up instantly, turning to the other side of the bed to see that Tony was awake, out of the bed, and feverishly dressing.

Steve blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. “Tony? What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Tony shook his head a few times as he pulled on a shirt. “I have to drive back into the city.” He grabbed a few things from the nightstand before putting his shoes on.

Steve, without wasting another moment, flung the blankets off his body as he got up from the bed to find something to wear. To Steve, Tony looked too distressed to drive, especially while it was still dark outside.

“Hey,” Steve met Tony halfway before he could get to the door, “what’s going on?” He repeated.

Tony tried to maneuver past Steve, but Steve blocked his path. Tony then backed a foot away. “Steve, I have to get back to the city—I have to check on Peter.”

Steve’s jaw went ridged as he realized that Tony was more upset than he initially realized. He nodded slowly as he placed both hands on Tony’s arms in an effort to calm him down.

“Tony, it’s late. We can call Peter in the morning…”

Tony shook his head again as he tried to pry himself away from Steve, but Steve held onto him.

“I can’t leave him like that! I have to see he’s okay.” Tony struggled against Steve, but Steve still managed to hold him in one place.

“Tony...we saw him before we left. He’s with May.” Steve answered calmly, barely budging from Tony squirming in his grasp.

Tony finally broke away from Steve, but he walked back toward the bed. “He has nightmares, Steve. He’ll wake up and call for me and…I won’t be there—He’ll probably think I abandoned him!” He started hyperventilating while clenching his chest.

Steve took his time approaching him. “Tony…we just saw him. He knows you went on a trip for a couple days…”

Tony shook his head as he slumped downward to sit on the edge of the bed; he continued breathing heavily. Steve could hear him counting to himself, but he waited; he wasn’t sure if he should try to touch Tony or just reason with him at a distance.

“…Tony…did you…have you a nightmare?” Steve asked quietly and with caution.

He waited as Tony slowly looked up at him; his face was streaked from a few tears. “Peter’s parents died the same way mine did…”

Steve took a deep breath as he nodded back. He took his time sitting next to Tony on the bed. “I know, Tony. You told me…” He hesitated before reaching out an arm to hold Tony around the shoulders. Tony was now breathing more steadily.

Tony groaned as he leaned forward to place his head in his hands. “It’s been a while…but I knew being here would fuck me up…” He wiped his eyes but kept facing downward and away from Steve.

“…this is why I couldn’t tell you…” Tony continued, “I don’t want you to see me like this…”

Steve nodded as he rubbed Tony’s back although Tony couldn’t see him. “I can call May for you…” He looked behind himself at a clock on of the tables next to the bed; it was four in the morning.

“…I’ll leave a message if she doesn’t pick up, okay?”

Tony nodded, still looking away from Steve. Steve rubbed Tony’s back one last time before taking his time rising from the bed, finding his phone in his pants that had been draped along a chair. He looked once more at Tony before walking to the door, taking his time shutting it close behind him.

Steve found May’s contact profile and dialed the number, noting to himself that he should add her contact information to his favorites list. He waited a few seconds until the call surprisingly connected.

“Steve?” May’s voice sounded weary on the other end, “is everything all right?”

Steve sighed, but he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to lie to Tony about May answering the phone. “We’re fine…I’m just calling…” he glanced at the bedroom door, “…I’m just calling to see how Peter’s doing…”

Steve waited as he heard May let out a subdued sigh. “Peter’s fine. He’s sleeping. Are you sure everything is okay?”

“Yes…” Steve answered, wondering to himself if he should continue, “has…Tony done this before?”

The end of the receiver went silent before May responded. “Steve, Tony’s a good dad, I just wish he would believe it himself…he calls…a lot when they’re apart…he’s done it less since he started seeing you, though…”

Steve waited with anticipation; he knew May wasn’t finished but could tell she was trying to remain careful speaking about Tony in front of him.

“I’m really thankful that Tony knew my brother well and was more than willing to take Peter in…he’s really the best thing that’s happened to Peter, honestly…,” May laughed quietly, “actually Peter tells me all the time how happy he is with Tony…I just wish Tony had more faith in himself…”

Steve sighed as he looked back at the bedroom door again. “Yeah…I think I’m getting the same impression…”

“Also, I’m sorry for unloading on you just now…” May quickly apologized.

Steve shook his head as if he were having a in-person conversation with May. “No, it’s okay. I’ll let Tony know that Peter is fine. Thank you, May.”

They said goodbye to each other before Steve heard the call end. He sighed to himself again, resting his hands on his hips before opening the door to find Tony still sitting on the edge of the bed. Steve walked into the room, but he stayed near the door.

“Peter’s fine, Tony. He’s sleeping.” Steve explained as gently as possible.

Tony took his time acknowledging Steve. “Are you going to tell me I was overacting?” He attempted to joke, but he sounded exhausted.

Steve shook his head as he joined Tony on the bed again. “Of course not, Tony. You just really care about Peter.”

Tony nodded slowly as Steve started rubbing his back again. “We should try to get back to sleep…” Steve offered softly.

Tony lingered before nodding again. Steve watched him rise from the bed and shed his clothes before sliding underneath the covers on the bed. Steve waited a bit before joining, rubbing Tony’s back as soon as he laid down. Tony was facing away from him, but Steve pulled him close to his body.

“…sorry, Steve…” Tony quietly apologized.

Steve shook his head as best as he could, kissing the back of Tony’s neck. “It’s okay, Tony. Let’s get some sleep, okay?”

Tony nodded back as he let Steve hold onto him. Steve held him tight before relaxing, staying awake until he was sure Tony was asleep.

* * *

_Later in the morning…_

Steve struggled to wake up as the sunlight from outside pierced through the bedroom curtains. He sat up in the bed with a yawn before he noticed that Tony was missing.

“Tony?” Steve said out loud, thinking Tony was in the bathroom.

Steve waited for an answer before getting out of the bed, hurrying out of the bedroom. As he entered the hallway, a strong breakfast scent greeted him at the entrance, leading him through the dining room then the kitchen to find Tony cooking at the stove.

“…Tony?” Steve repeated slowly, taking his time entering the kitchen.

Tony turned around with a huge grin. “Hey! Who knew _you _would be the one sleeping in late?"

Steve stood still, looking around the kitchen before looking back at Tony. “Uh, Tony…I can make breakfast…why don’t you relax?” He was confused by Tony’s current state which was the exact opposite of earlier that morning.

Tony quickly shook his head. “No can do; breakfast is the only thing I’m good at. Why don’t you pop a squat in the dining room? I’m almost finished.”

Steve had to prevent himself from frowning. “Okay…uh…let me get some plates…”

Tony nodded, happily pointing to a cupboard. Steve retrieved a couple plates, washed them off, and found some silverware before walking to the dining room. Tony met him with a giant serving plate full of breakfast food.

Steve sat down awkwardly at the table, wondering if he should ask how Tony was doing since that morning. Tony sat down across from him, serving himself, appearing absolutely fine.

“You should eat, Rogers. We have _so_ much shit to do today.” Tony grinned at Steve as he filled his plate before pouring a cup of coffee.

Steve nodded slowly, watching Tony before reaching for the serving plate.

“So,” Tony began, “we have today and a good deal of tomorrow. Today, let’s finish in the living room and the dining room, then we can start on my old room and the basement. Sound good?”

Steve nodded slowly again, trying not to stare at Tony. “Uh, yeah…”

During the entire meal, Tony seemed wholly unbothered by his behavior that morning, chatting with Steve as if he didn’t just have an emotional break down a few hours earlier. Steve listened, trying to play along because he didn’t want to upset Tony again.

After some time, they finished eating. Tony announced that he needed to shower before resuming unpacking, so Steve followed him back to their room.

“I can shower in the guest room bathroom next to my parents’ room and you can take the one in here.” Tony fished out an outfit and grabbed a towel before heading to the bedroom door.

“See ya in a bit.” He said with a smile before walking down the hallway.

Steve waited for the sound of Tony’s footsteps to disappear. He hesitated before jumping out of the bed to reach his overnight bag. He found Howard’s diary before returning to the bed, cautiously turning it over and over in his hands. He remarked to himself how elaborate the diary’s structure appeared; the paper inside was heavy and coarse, filled with elegant script and sketches.

Steve glanced up at the door, listening for any sign of Tony. He knew he was taking a chance reading the diary behind Tony’s back, but Steve was convinced that there might be something in the diary to explain Tony’s actions since they met. It was becoming easier trying to gauge Tony’s emotions, but Steve knew that Tony had to be dealing with more issues than he let on, especially since he kept the trip away from him and appears to be overprotective of Peter.

Steve took a deep breath before turning to the first page. The date was marked “May 29, 1989.” Steve instantly recognized that the entry had been written on Tony’s birthday, a couple years before Howard and Maria died.

Steve took in another deep breath as he began to read the entry:

> _May 29, 1989,_
> 
> _I wonder where <strike>it</strike> I went wrong._
> 
> _It hurts to know he hates me, but what’s the use? The only advice I ever had was from my own father and he was cold toward me. He never said anything kind to me._
> 
> _Anthony’s different. He <strike>deserves</strike> deserved better. I wish I could give it to him. I wish we could start over._
> 
> _I’ve created a lot of things in my life and all have been extraordinary. The most challenging was probably Synergy…if I had only been able to make it work. Anthony could do it, however. He’s more capable than I’ll ever be._
> 
> _I can honestly say that my greatest creation of all was my son. I have no doubt he will go on to do great things._
> 
> _I knew he was different when he was born. He <strike>was</strike> is quicker than me, faster. He’s an amalgam of Maria and I…I’m thankful she’s his mother. He embodies her best traits. I see myself in him, too, but it scares me to see that I’ve strained my son against me._
> 
> _If you ever read this, Anthony, know that I sincerely tried. I’m so sorry for hurting you. I know I could have done better._
> 
> _I just hope that when you start your own family, you’ll be a better father than I was._

Steve closed the diary as he felt his stomach summersault a few times. He placed the diary next to him on the bed as he tried to process what he should do next. Being in the house was affecting Tony more than he could comprehend so Steve told himself that they would need to unpack boxes as quickly as possible so they could leave before Tony had another emotional breakdown.

Steve sighed; he wasn’t sure if he should tell Tony that he had read the diary and he was beginning to feel guilty about keeping it instead of throwing it away.

_I shouldn’t have read this…_Steve scolded himself.

No wonder Tony was so attached to Peter; his relationship with his own father had been the mirror opposite. Steve thought about keeping the diary away from Tony; he couldn’t let it be destroyed. Part of him thought that maybe if he showed Tony how much his father tried, maybe Tony would find some peace.

But then Tony would know that Steve had held onto the diary. Steve sighed out loud as he racked himself with guilt. He looked around the room, trying to think quickly. He finally decided that he would hold onto the diary and maybe bring it up with Tony sometime in the future, but not right after the weekend.

Steve got up from the bed to take a shower, meeting Tony later in the dining room. That day, they managed to go through the boxes in their target rooms before moving on to wayward items in the basement. That night, they ordered dinner again and went to bed late, exhausted from the work that day. To Steve, Tony appeared completely unfazed, but something about it was preventing Steve from talking to him about it, especially after having kept the diary against Tony’s wishes.

The following day, Tony and Steve assessed whatever was left before loading some items into their car to either be kept privately or donated to a museum. Everything else was tossed into a dumpster to be hauled off later by the current owner. They drove back to the city that evening, Tony chatted about work and Steve listened, yet he anxiously mulled over his decision to keep something this big away from Tony.

Later that evening, they picked up Peter and Steve stayed for dinner before going home. Since calling it a night once he got home, Steve couldn’t sleep. At one point, after one more toss and turn, Steve turned over onto his side to look at his overnight bag he hadn’t unfinished unpacking, staring at a corner of the diary poking out from underneath his clothes.

Steve groaned to himself; there was no way he could go on keeping this away from Tony. They had promised that they would be open with each other and Steve was going back on his word. So, he then decided that he would just tell Tony the next day what he found and hoped Tony would understand why he held onto the diary.

* * *

_The Monday after..._

Steve sighed agonizingly to himself as he saw Tony already working in the lab as he approached. He looked downward at his wristwatch, taking note that the time was earlier than usual for Tony. Steve paused for a moment, standing at the entrance of the lab before entering.

“Good Morning, Mr. Rogers.” J.A.R.V.I.S. greeted.

“Hi, J.A.R.V.I.S.” Steve answered, watching Tony spin around to greet him.

“Hey, Rogers. Missed you last night.” Tony grinned as he walked up to Steve to give him a quick hug and kiss.

Steve awkwardly hugged and kissed Tony back, but his guilt was crushing his composure. As soon as Tony released himself from the hug, Steve quickly walked over to the table he usually used to store his things. He took his time opening his work bag, finding Howard’s diary sitting on top of his notebooks and writing instruments.

Steve sighed again as he reached into the bag, slowly withdrawing the diary. He then turned toward Tony’s general direction who was facing a console, humming to himself.

“Tony…?” Steve called, his voice harsh from the lack of sleep as he clenched the diary.

“What’s up?” Tony answered still facing a projection of the Synergy device above his console.

“…you know what the best thing is about having this device locked down?” Tony started up again as Steve walked toward him, “I can test these scenarios I’ve been tinkering with in the simulation suite…”

Steve nodded as he stopped a few feet in front of Tony. “…all of that time and effort needs to be put to good use somehow. The board thinks we should still try to use the device for emergencies, but I’m not too keen on the idea since we’re still trying to prevent security breaches…”

Steve nodded once more, but didn’t respond verbally. Tony noticed that he was mostly talking to himself as he turned slightly to acknowledge Steve.

“Uh, is something up, Cap?” Tony teased.

Steve breathed deeply. “I know you wanted…” he stopped as he looked directly at Tony who was now facing him.

Steve held the diary out for Tony. “…I know you wanted me to throw this out with the rest, but—”

“Are you _fucking_ kidding me, Steve?” Tony instantly became angry as he marched toward Steve, snatching the diary out of his hands, “I told you to get rid of this!”

He then spun around away from Steve to get back to his console, still holding onto the diary.

Steve inhaled deeply, calmly reaching out his hands toward Tony whose back was now facing him. “Tony, I know. But you should read it. Your father—”

“Was a piece of shit, Steve!” Tony had whipped his body around as he threw the diary across the lab away from Steve, “I can’t believe you read this. This is an invasion of my privacy!”

Steve recoiled somewhat at the sudden change in Tony’s tone. He waited before responding again, thinking of ways to deescalate the conversation.

“What were you going to say?" Tony's voice continued to raise, "that he was _sorry_ he made me feel like shit and that he could have been a better father?”

Tony rushed toward Steve again, stopping short. “He probably wrote whatever’s in that diary keeping in mind that someone will probably write a book or movie script about him in the future.” Tony threw his hands up in the air before placing them on his waist. He sighed deeply, looking downward at the ground.

“Even in fucking death, Howard Stark is obsessed with his image.” Tony slowly added, still looking downward.

Steve stayed still. “Tony, but—”

“When he was writing in that fucking diary,” Tony shook his head as he sharply interrupted Steve, pointing a finger at the diary then to himself, “…those were some of the _worst_ years of my life. I would have killed to hear him say he screwed up, not muse about the possibilities over twenty fucking years later in a fucking diary, Steve!”

Steve tried to respond, but he found it difficult trying to find the right thing to say without further upsetting Tony.

Tony glared at Steve. “I knew this was a fucking mistake…I can’t trust you...”

And as soon as Tony uttered the comment, Steve felt like his body might topple over from how heartbreaking the words came across.

“Tony…?” Steve tried again, but too paralyzed to articulate himself.

Tony shook his head. He walked briskly over to a table to grab his work bag before stomping out of the lab.

“I’m going to work in my office. Please _do not_ fucking follow me!” Tony yelled back at Steve as he exited the lab.

Steve remained in the lab, debilitated. He could see Tony marching down the hallway through the glass façade.

Steve slapped a hand to his forehead, looking around the lab as if searching for the right thing to do next, spotting the diary flipped open on its spine. Steve sighed as he walked over to retrieve it, crouching down, taking his time picking it up with the diary still opened. It had fallen open on a series of sketches and some tasks Howard had written to himself. Steve sighed again, looking up at the glass façade, fighting with himself whether he should follow Tony.

* * *

_Back in Tony’s office…_

Tony slammed the door to his office close before throwing his work bag to the other side of the room. He looked around the office for something else to throw, until his saw in the corner of his eye a framed photograph of himself with his mother during a family vacation when he was little. Tony had found it while going through the boxes at the house out in the Hamptons. He stepped to the bookshelf and grabbed the frame. He paused for a moment as he looked at the photo before placing the frame back down on the shelf.

He sighed to himself as he walked to his desk, slumping into the chair, scolding himself for even thinking about dating again. Tony groaned, placing his head into his hands as he rested his elbows on top of the desk. After a period of trying not to sob alone in his office, he leaned backward in his chair, sniffling.

He placed an arm on an armrest, rubbing his forehead with his other hand, as he stared downward at the main drawer of his desk. He furrowed his brow, groaning again, as he scooted his chair closer to the drawer, opening it to find his mother’s ring. He studied it, placing it delicately in the palm of his hand, thinking about Steve wearing it, before quickly tossing it back into the drawer.

During their last day at the house in the Hamptons, Tony thought about giving the ring away; he didn’t want it. Last night, however, after Steve left, Tony convinced himself that maybe he could give it to him because ever since they left the house, all Tony could think about was asking Steve to—

_No! That’s fucking over…I can’t even trust him…_Tony screamed in his head, leaning back into his chair, rubbing his forehead again.

Tony fought back another sob that he ended up choking on, trying to focus on something else but the thought of Steve going through his personal items threw off his concentration. He then started crying to himself, thinking that he had finally met the right person before telling himself that being in a relationship never worked out for him so there was no use in trying to make things work with Steve no matter how close they had become.

Tony had stifled any emotion he possibly could before going out to the house with Steve. He knew that if he didn’t, he would be a wreck the entire weekend. However, after becoming even closer to Steve physically, Tony let his guard down which could have been the main contributing factor to his recurring nightmare and subsequent panic attack over Peter.

However, Steve managed not only to be there for him, but also tried to calm him through the situation. That had to mean that Steve—

_…I can’t trust him…_Tony repeated to himself, interrupting the thought.

After another moment, Tony shook his head; it was no use. He took a second before turning his desktop on, scrolling through some emails to try to distract himself from crying more. He scrolled past several new messages before finding the flagged message sent from Justin Hammer before the weekend.

Tony groaned, but he read the message anyway in an effort to distract himself from brooding over his failing dating life. As Tony read through the email his eyes grew wide over Hammer’s very detailed description of Thanos’s short tenure at Hammer Industries.

“What…the absolute…fuck…?”

* * *

_Later that afternoon…_

Loki whistled to himself as he emerged from his bathroom, heading to his kitchen to make something to eat. He continued to hum loudly as he whipped together a sandwich before hearing a ping from his tablet, signaling that he had received an email. The tablet was sitting on top of the table in the small area he had partitioned off for eating.

Loki rolled his eyes, thinking the message was probably another email from Thor checking up on him, even though he had been sent home with a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent for constant surveillance. He placed his sandwich down on the counter before walking over to the table, picking up the tablet and swiping to view the message:

Subject: CONFIDENTIAL

UNKNOWN SENDER

To: [thetrickster@gmail.com](mailto:thetrickster@gmail.com)

> Plant another. Wipe all email traces.

Loki frowned at the message, recognizing that the email had been sent from Obadiah.

Loki had installed a special encryption program on his tablet to receive emails before the agents at S.H.I.E.L.D. could geotag his communication. He deleted the message and wiped its traces from his server. Loki had been cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D. only to distract the Synergy team from tracking Obadiah so he could deliver the Synergy device to Thanos, but Loki didn’t think Obadiah would resort to trying to blow it up again.

Loki placed the tablet on the table in front of him. He thought it might be easier to tinker with the device’s hardware rather than plant another one of Thanos’s makeshift explosives. That way the Synergy team wouldn’t see it coming until it was too late. But somehow, he would need to get close to the device.

Nevertheless, Loki grinned to himself as he came up with the plan in his head, walking back to the kitchen to finish his sandwich before binge watching one of his favorite TV shows.


	35. Chapter 35

_Several days later…_

“I think this is the most appropriate move…”

The Synergy executive committee was meeting with the senior members of the board in the nicest conference room in Stark Tower. Obadiah was sitting at the head of the table giving his opinion on the next possible move for Synergy, facing Tony who sat on the exact opposite end of the table. As he spoke, Obadiah kept glancing furtively in Tony’s direction which annoyed Tony to no possible end.

Concerning Thanos’s past and the current state of Synergy, Fury and Tony could no longer afford to keep non-Synergy members in the dark about the team’s plans. Fury had called a meeting with the executive committee which then morphed into a meeting with the board. The board meeting was to discuss whether Stark Industries could convince the government to pick up the project with more strident security measures.

“…but don’t despair, Anthony, your father had trouble with this damn project from the start—” Obadiah motioned toward Pepper and one of the female board members sitting closest to him, “forgive my language, ladies.”

The female board member acknowledged Obadiah with a curt nod, but Pepper ignored him as she turned to face Tony who appeared to be on the verge of bursting through the seams with anger.

Obadiah leaned forward in his chair. “However, I think an open contract route for the remnants of Synergy’s hardware and software rather than foisting this thing on the government will more than salvage the project…” he looked upward directly at Tony.

“Right, Anthony?” Obadiah grinned with his self-satisfaction blatantly obvious.

Tony was lounging his chair, half covering his face from how furious he had become since the meeting started. Part of him wanted to call Obadiah out in front of everyone, but he would risk losing control over any possible contract bids.

Ever since learning more about Thanos’s work at Hammer Industries, Tony had been consumed with trying to figure out the best way to move forward with Synergy. Also, and perhaps even more distressing, he had been using the newest company crisis to distract himself from seriously dealing with his feelings toward Steve.

Tony and Steve hadn’t spoken to one another since that Monday: Tony kept to his office either at work or at home. Steve, too worried that he would upset Tony even more by trying to explain himself, stayed in the lab. Once or twice he thought about seeking Tony out, thinking he could try to talk to him either in his office or on the phone. However, the way Tony reacted to him keeping the diary alarmed Steve; of all their arguments and misunderstandings, Steve had never seen Tony upset like that before.

Although he had told Steve to leave him alone, Tony thought Steve would have at least tried to call him. It got to the point to where Tony would turn his phone off during the day yet impatiently check it in the evening, thinking Steve had finally called him or sent a message. But as each day passed with no word from Steve, Tony fumed and now Obadiah was making moves to take control of Synergy.

“I think we should keep both options open for the moment,” Fury had leaned forward to answer Obadiah as Tony took his time even acknowledging the comment, “we have a meeting after this with the team to discuss these future plans.”

The group chatted for a bit longer with mostly Obadiah musing about the external possibilities of Synergy. After discussing the agenda for an upcoming meeting, everyone took their time exiting the room until Tony and Obadiah were left alone.

Obadiah stopped Tony with an outstretched arm. “Anthony, good job anyway.” He sneered, making it clear that his tone was deeply sarcastic.

Tony looked down at Obadiah’s hand on his arm. He yanked it away as he straightened himself out before pointing in Obadiah’s face with one finger.

“Obie, I swear to God,” Tony inched himself further into Obadiah’s personal space as he felt himself losing his patience, “if I find out you had _anything _to do with Synergy being compromised, I will fucking destroy you.”

Obadiah stared at Tony before grinning slightly. He brushed himself off before responding. “Relax, my boy. Impetuous anger doesn’t look good on you.” He grinned before spinning around to walk away from Tony in the opposite direction.

Tony watched Obadiah saunter away. He swore to himself before turning around to head to one of the smaller conference rooms were Fury had called the Synergy team for their meeting.

As soon as Tony entered the room, he saw Steve standing off to the side close to Thor and Shuri. Tony avoided eye contact with him as he walked to the front of the room to stand next to Fury and Pepper. Bruce was sitting at the conference table with Clint, and Natasha was standing on the other side of the room.

“Okay, here’s the deal...,” Fury began, producing a clicker to show the team some fuzzy footage of Thanos constructing his weapon at Hammer Industries.

“…this Thanos and whatever the hell he’s building is putting the proverbial damper on Synergy.” Fury added as the team watched the footage that had been projected above the table.

“So…what does that mean?” Clint asked as he leaned forward in his chair.

Tony sighed. “The executive committee met with the board and we have two options: either we give Synergy to the government or bid for open contracts.”

Instantly, everyone, except Steve, reacted verbally to Tony’s answer.

That entire week, Steve had spent most of his waking hours trying to figure out how best to approach Tony, yet he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed; he thought Tony would have cooled down by now to at least work in the lab with him, but he hadn’t heard one word from Tony since Monday.

Now Synergy was possibly being taken away from them and Steve had trouble trying to parse through his emotions as it related to Tony and the project. From their conversations, Steve knew that Tony would do his best to keep the team safe, but Steve never thought Tony would give up so easily. Something about it, along with not hearing from Tony all week, bothered him.

Tony motioned with his hands to get everyone to calm down. “I’m not happy about the situation either, but we can’t keep Synergy in its current form while we have someone using Stark Industries employees to build a massive super weapon.”

“Tony,” Bruce leaned over the table, “the board is going to lean toward selling the device to a weapons contractor. They’re not going to give it to the government, which means we won’t have any say. Can’t we do more?”

Tony sighed as he shook his head. He accidentally glanced at Steve before addressing Bruce. “I hear you, Banner, but perhaps we can build something else from this,” he motioned toward Shuri, “we already have more talent on our team which means anything else we construct after this will only get better. Besides, I rather break the device down than let it fall into the wrong hands—”

“No.” Steve suddenly interrupted, somewhat surprising himself. And the room grew quiet as Tony took his time acknowledging Steve, yet he refrained from reacting right away.

Fury looked at Tony who only stared back at Steve. “Care to elaborate, Mr. Rogers?” Fury calmly asked.

Steve stepped toward the conference table. “This can’t be what we use Synergy for.”

“Rogers,” Tony motioned toward Steve with one hand before Fury could respond, “I get why you’re not pleased, but, as you _should_ know, Synergy is whatever we want it to be—”

“You told me…” Steve interrupted Tony, “…that Synergy would never be used for weapons manufacturing. I don’t know about you, Tony, but I’m not going to sit by and let all our hard work be destroyed for personal gains.”

Tony cocked his head to the side, smiling as he leaned up against the wall behind him. Steve could feel himself losing control over his emotions, which was rare for him. He realized that he and Tony were trying to work through some things but thought Tony would have put aside the argument over the diary to talk about Synergy.

“Tony, if you do this…” Steve paused.

“What, Rogers? If I do what?” Tony filled in the pause for Steve.

Steve’s expression hardened. “…you’ll be no better than Dr. Thanos or…Obadiah…”

Tony continued to stare at Steve, clearly ruminating over his comment. He laughed to himself before slowly approaching Steve.

“Sorry to break it to ya, Rogers, but there’s no honor in Capitalism. Welcome to the real fucking world where things cost shit.”

Steve shook his head defiantly as he watched Tony walk toward him. “It’s not about the money, Tony. Synergy can save lives, that’s what it should be used for. Think of the damage you’ll be adding to if you let the board hand Synergy over to—”

“Steve!” The sudden rise in Tony’s tone hushed everyone immediately, “Synergy is dangerous!”

Steve furrowed his brow as he took the hint that the conversation had been taken to another level; it was now more about their continuing fight than anything else.

Perhaps learning from the last fight Steve and Tony had in public, everyone else just looked at one another as Tony and Steve glared at each other. After a moment of silence, an awkward cough from Clint, and Shuri looking around at everyone else to gauge an appropriate reaction, Bruce motioned toward Fury, attempting to redirect the tension in the room.

“Fury, can we have a vote about this at least?” Bruce turned to look directly at Fury to avoid acknowledging Steve and Tony.

Everyone else looked at Steve and Tony before looking at Fury who was shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Banner, but it looks like the board’s wanting us to consider these options and they’re unfortunately leaning toward the open contract…”

As Fury explained, Tony walked to the other side of the conference room to get away from Steve who stood still, and the palpable tension between the two made everyone exceedingly uncomfortable.

Bruce nodded wearily after Fury finished. “Well…I guess if that’s it…”

Tony shook his head as he crossed his arms. He kept his eyes trained on Bruce to avoid accidentally looking back at Steve.

“It’s not it, Banner. We can still reinvent Synergy; it just can’t exist in its current form now that someone out there knows its mechanics.”

Tony’s answer barely satisfied the team as Fury then began explaining possible next steps. Both Tony and Steve remained silent as the rest of the team discussed the options. As soon as the conversation ended, Tony marched out of the conference room without saying a word, and Steve quickly followed him. Despite whatever personal conflict they were having, Steve knew he needed to apologize to Tony for arguing over Synergy in front of the team.

Steve followed Tony all the way to his office, stopping the door from slamming in his face with his foot. He pushed the door open to find Tony standing in the middle of the office with his arms crossed.

“Tony—”

“Rogers, save it.” Tony angrily interrupted motioning toward Steve with one hand, “not only do I have to deal with you snooping through my things, you’re insubordinate on top of it.”

Steve shook his head, trying to calm himself down. “Tony, I’m—”

“I _said_, save it, Rogers!” Tony had taken a step toward Steve to meet him at the door, “when we’re here at work, I’m your boss, not your—” Tony cut himself off, waving a hand around as if trying to explain whatever relationship he had with Steve.

Tony then looked away from Steve, sighing loudly, before turning somewhat to look at him again. “…just because you make me come every night we’re together, Rogers, doesn’t mean I need your stamp of approval on everything I do.” He poked Steve in the chest a few times before backing away to stand in the middle of the office once again. Steve stared at him, not entirely sure how to respond.

“…besides, I’m no better than Obie or an unhinged, disgruntled ex-Stark Industries employee, right?” Tony had turned away from Steve to walk to his desk. He sat down, looking through some papers stacked on top.

“Please get the fuck out.”

Steve lingered before finally taking the hint that sticking around could possibly lead to more yelling. He nodded slowly, turning around to exit the office, slowly closing the door behind him, and as soon as the door closed, Tony groaned loudly, shoving a folder full of documents off his desk.

* * *

_That weekend…_

Tony was out on the balcony of his penthouse with Bruce. Peter was staying over at May’s for the weekend and Tony needed someone to distract him from not obsessing over Steve. Neither one had made a move to reach out to the other since the blow up in the conference room.

“…I’m going to say something to Rhodes in person when he gets back into town…” Tony was leaning up against the railing with Bruce, “…but I’m considering calling it quits with Steve.”

Bruce stared at Tony, taking a moment. “...uh, please don’t tell me this is because of Synergy…”

Tony sighed. “It’s not just because of Synergy…” he stopped for a moment to look downward at his feet, “…when we were at the house…Steve found one of my dad’s diaries…I told him to throw it out, but he kept it and read it instead…”

Bruce nodded slowly. “…I’m really sorry, Tony. But maybe you and Steve should talk first before doing something drastic…” He offered quietly.

Tony gawked at his friend. “Are you serious, Banner? He went through _my _personal items behind my back.”

Bruce sighed. “Everyone messes up, Tony…maybe Steve thought he was helping somehow.”

Tony slammed an open hand on the railing which unsettled Bruce. “That’s the problem with Steve. He always thinks he’s helping.”

Bruce took another moment before responding. “…Tony…I’ve never heard you complain about Steve before…”

Tony shrugged. “_I’m _sorry. I thought you all wanted me to be happy. Well, I fucking knew things with Steve weren’t going to work out.”

Bruce sighed again; he shuffled around, trying to look away from Tony. “…I told Steve about the trip…I also lied about mixing the dates up so you would ask him to go with you…”

Tony could feel the temperature in his body raise, but he tried to remain calm in order not to get into it with one of his dearest friends.

“…you should have seen him, Tony,” Tony groaned as Bruce pressed on, “he looked heartbroken that he didn’t even know about trip. You should have talked to him.”

Tony crossed his arms as Bruce continued. “…I was planning to tell you that I had told him, but I didn’t want to upset you more with the change in plans…”

Tony groaned again, turning away from the balcony. He was so angry with Steve’s recent behavior and Synergy, he couldn’t think straight. He knew whatever relationship he had with Steve would never work. He knew that either himself or Steve would end up doing something that broke the other’s heart and Tony didn’t know if he could ever trust him again.

However, Tony was also struggling with how great Steve had been up until that point. He got along well with Peter and he was understanding when it came to past relationship issues and family trauma. Yet the thing with his dad’s diary was something Tony couldn’t seem to get past.

“Tony, just talk to him. I don’t know Steve as well as you do, but I can tell he really cares about you…”

Tony sighed deeply; maybe he should come clean about his feelings for Steve.

“…I think…ugh…” he shuffled back and forth on his feet, “…I’m really serious…about Steve, Banner…more so than I have been with anyone else…and…it…scares me…” Tony couldn’t bring himself to be completely transparent about his feelings for Steve, but that comment had been the most he had ever said out loud.

Tony turned slightly to gauge Bruce’s reaction. Bruce nodded as he crossed his arms. “Yeah, I can tell, Tony…” He said with a sincere expression, “but please don’t let that be the reason why you won’t talk things through with Steve.”

Tony nodded but then he groaned loudly, remembering the same advice Pepper had given him a while back.

“The only time we’ve spoken to each other was when we were arguing in front of everyone over Synergy…I haven’t heard from him since. This is the longest it’s been and its annoying the shit out of me.”

Bruce nodded as he patted Tony on the shoulder. “I get that, Tony. But maybe Steve’s trying to process what’s going on before trying to have a productive conversation?”

Tony shook his head as he walked away from the balcony. “It’s been a week, Banner. He should have reached out. He knows how screwed up my relationship with my dad was.”

Tony looked back at Bruce who appeared to be thinking deeply. “Yeah, he should definitely say something…but why don’t you give him some more time?”

Tony nodded as he tried to consider the suggestion, even though he was still incredibly frustrated with Steve. Bruce quickly changed the topic of conversation to Peter, much to Tony’s relief. They chatted a bit longer before Bruce said goodnight before heading home.

* * *

_The next day…_

Steve finally emerged from his bedroom, a little later than normal for him, even on the weekends. He hadn’t been sleeping well the last few nights; the fight he was having with Tony had worsened and he continued to scold himself for being the cause of it and not clearly explaining why he did what he did.

Steve dragged his feet to the kitchen, finding Sam sitting at the table, reading on a tablet, and drinking a cup of coffee. Ever since moving in with Shuri and receiving new responsibilities at work, Steve and Bucky rarely saw Sam. It wasn’t until recently that Sam had taken the effort to catch up with his friends at their old apartment. He still had a copy of the keys so he would drop by whenever. Steve appreciated seeing Sam more, but the fight with Tony was dragging his spirits down.

“Hey, Cap.” Sam greeted as he soon as he spotted Steve round the opening of the kitchen.

Steve nodded as he walked to the fridge, he looked around inside without picking anything before slumping into a chair at the kitchen table. He could feel Sam staring at him.

“Cap, Buck and I were thinking about going to a movie later this evening if you would like to tag along?” Sam chuckled, “I think we definitely need an emergency Tête-Bro-Tête.”

Steve only responded with another nod as he placed his head into his hands to rest on top of the table.

“…ugh…I really messed up with Tony…”

Sam’s expression changed as he nodded. “Yeah…Buck told me about your guys’ fight…”

Steve sulked some more. “…I can feel things getting more serious between us, so I thought reading the diary would help me better understand where Tony was coming from…I had no idea he would react the way he did…”

“Hey!” Bucky had suddenly appeared at the threshold of the entrance to the kitchen. Sam quickly motioned for him to chill in front of Steve who was facing away from him.

“…hey, Sam…” Bucky’s tone dropped as he walked slowly into the kitchen to perch himself against a counter.

“Cap,” Bucky started up again with a muted sigh, “why don’t you just call Tony or text him? Just tell him you fucked up.”

Steve took his time slowly turning to look at Bucky. “He won’t let me get a word in whenever I try to explain…and I can’t just send him a text…I really messed up…”

“I’m sorry, Cap.” Sam offered.

Bucky shook his head. “All this just because you read his dad’s diary?”

Sam shook his head quickly, motioning again for Bucky to relax, but the latter barely acknowledged him.

“It’s more than that Buck,” Steve straightened up, “I really don’t want to get into it, but Tony had a rough time growing up…and I should have talked to him instead of going behind his back…”

The three of them went silent before Bucky spoke up again. “Let’s get out of here,” he sat down at the table, “it’ll get your mind off this fight with Tony. You’ll probably have a clear head after.” He tried, clearly grimacing from his own comment.

Steve appeared not to notice Bucky’s expression as he nodded back. “I guess that might help…”

Sam smiled. “I know this sounds contrived, but this will work itself out. You and Tony are great together. Right, Buck?” He glanced over at Bucky who looked unamused.

“Right, Buck?” Sam repeated.

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Steve. You and Tony are a nice-looking couple.” He almost said in a derisive tone, but it appeared that both of his friends hadn’t picked up on it.

Steve leaned back into his chair. It hurt thinking about Tony not being able to trust him, but he did think they had been good together up until that point. He could call, but would Tony even pick up the phone? Steve figured he should give himself some time to figure out the best way to approach Tony without their conversation escalating.

“…you’re probably right…everything is such a huge mess…”

Sam rose from the table, rapping on it lightly with his knuckles. “Nothing’s going to be solved tonight. Let’s get dinner then see a movie.”

Steve nodded slowly as he rose from the table. Bucky sighed, but then started teasing Steve to get him to lighten up. Soon after, they left the apartment to grab dinner at their favorite diner from across the street before heading to the local movie theater.

* * *

_About a week or so later…_

Tony sat at the island in the middle of his kitchen, sulking as he tried to get some work done, but was still too hung up on the fight he was having with Steve. He was also trying to eat a dinner he had made for himself, but for some reason he couldn’t quite balance the flavors like Steve usually did whenever he cooked which made him feel even more depressed.

“Sir,” J.A.R.V.I.S. called suddenly, “you have mail.”

Tony rolled his eyes as he continued eating. “Okay, send it to my inbox.”

“You have a _mailed _letter, Sir.” The computer’s usual unemotional tone managed to add emphasis to the word “mailed”.

Tony scowled. “What? Is this the 1800s?”

“No, Sir…” J.A.R.V.I.S. then reminded Tony of the current year.

“I know which year it is, J.A.R.V.I.S.” Tony rolled his eyes again as he rose from his stool. He grumbled to himself as he walked to the elevator.

_Who the hell is sending me a letter? _Tony wondered to himself as he rode the elevator down to the lobby. After reaching the floor, Tony stepped out to walk to the private mailbox for the penthouse.

Tony unlocked the mailbox with the fingerprint scanner, noticing as soon as it opened a lone small white envelope in the middle of the box. Tony looked around as if he were searching for the carrier who had left it. He then saw a security guard sitting at the front desk playing solitaire with a deck of cards.

“Hi.” Tony walked to the front desk as he addressed the security guard who immediately jumped at the sound of his voice.

“Mr. Stark! It’s nice to see you. How’s your evening?” The guard asked enthusiastically.

Tony nodded wearingly. “I’m okay. Did you see anyone drop off some mail? I got this letter in my private mailbox.”

The guard shook his head quickly. “Nope. Just the mailman, Mr. Stark. You still get mail?”

Tony laughed lightly. “I guess so. Thanks anyway.”

Tony waved goodbye to the guard, walking quickly back to the mailbox to avoid any more prolonged conversation. As soon as he reached the box, he hesitated before taking the letter, not entirely sure what he would find inside. He flipped the envelope over as he pulled it out, his eyes widening as he realized that the letter was from Steve.

Tony stood completely still, too shocked to even open the envelope. He looked back toward the security desk before quickly accessing the private express elevator. During the trip back up to the penthouse, Tony stared blankly at the letter, debating with himself whether he should read it or throw it away.

Once the elevator arrived, Tony walked aimlessly back to the kitchen, slumping back down on the same stool. He turned the envelope over once more before tossing it across the top of the island.

“I am _not _reading that.” Tony complained out loud.

He stared at the letter before whisking himself and his dinner plate to his home office to finish working. Later that evening, he passed one of the openings to the kitchen to get to the master bedroom. He stopped to look at the letter which was still sitting on top of the island.

_He fucked up…I’m not reading anything he has to say…_

Ever since he received the letter, Tony had convinced himself that Steve should have called him to apologize.

_…also, who sends a letter?_

After another minute of lengthy internal grousing about Steve, Tony marched to his bedroom. He tried to sleep, but he kept tossing and turning all night, thinking constantly about the letter out in the kitchen.

* * *

_The next morning…_

“Tony!”

Tony groaned, swiping his hand around at nothing.

“Tony! It’s morning!”

Tony swore as he slowly opened his eyes, greeted by a cheerful Peter bouncing on his bed to get him to wake up.

“Tony!” Peter continued to shout with a smile.

“Peter,” Tony turned over on his other side, “are you aware of the time?” He had just fallen asleep only an hour ago.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., what time is it?” Peter asked, still smiling and bouncing.

“It is eleven in the morning, Mr. Parker.” J.A.R.V.I.S. answered.

Tony groaned again as Peter continued to jump up and down on the bed. 

“Tony, I found this…” Peter tapped on Tony’s shoulder.

Tony sighed as he turned around to face Peter who was holding Steve’s letter. Tony sat up quickly in the bed.

“Where did you get this?” Tony asked as he took the letter from Peter, trying not to sound upset, but was irritated that Peter had not only interrupted his sleep but also found Steve’s letter.

“I found it in the kitchen…” Peter answered quietly.

Tony rubbed his forehead with a sigh. “Okay, _how _did you get this?”

Peter looked away as he hung his head low. “…I got on top one of the stools…”

Tony sighed again, taking another moment to calm down. “Peter, you’re not supposed to be standing on the stools, remember? You could hurt yourself. Please don’t do that again, okay?”

Peter nodded slowly as he looked up at Tony. “I’m sorry, Tony…”

Tony sighed as he reached over to rub Peter’s back. “It’s okay. Just don’t do it again.”

“…are you going to read it?” Peter looked down at the letter.

“No.” Tony also looked down at the letter before tossing it into a drawer in a table next to the bed.

“How come? It’s from Steve.” Peter persisted.

Tony groaned before getting out the bed to head to the bathroom. “I know it’s from Steve. That’s why I’m not reading it.”

Peter lingered on the bed as Tony stretched his back before walking to the bathroom.

“…is that why…Steve doesn’t spend the night anymore…?”

Tony stopped, sighing to himself as he took his time turning around to face Peter. “Steve doesn’t spend the night all the time.”

Peter shook his head quickly. “He stays over a lot during the week and on the weekends…”

Tony rested his hands on his hips. “Well, Steve has his own life and sometimes he’s doing that instead.”

Peter nodded slowly, clearly put off by Tony’s tone. Tony took in a deep breath as he approached the bed to sit on the edge of it.

“I’m sorry…I got…into an argument with Steve…that’s why he hasn’t been here…”

“…maybe he’s sorry?” Peter’s expression had turned thoughtful.

Tony frowned. “I don’t know and I’m really not in the mood to find out.”

“Why not?” Peter looked up at Tony intently.

“Because…” Tony began but struggled finding the right excuse. Peter continued to watch him, waiting for an answer. Tony turned to look at the drawer with the letter before looking back at Peter. He quickly looked away, eyes scanning the room as if searching for a logical answer, but he came up short.

“…the first time we had Steve over for dinner…you told me that you like him…do you…still feel the same way?” Tony asked quietly.

Peter nodded quickly. “Yes! Steve is great!”

Tony nodded back, trying to smile. “Why don’t you change out of your pajamas? We’re supposed to go to the park later with May, right?”

Peter jumped off the bed. “Okay!” He then sprinted out of the room.

“Hey!” Tony called after him, “I said no run—ugh, forget it.” He threw his hands up in the air.

He sighed loudly, swearing to himself before reaching for the bedside table drawer. Tony slowly withdrew the envelope from the drawer, turning it over before lifting the flap. He stared at the folded letter, groaning before pulling the letter free.

He glanced at the bedroom door to make sure Peter didn’t come barreling back into the room. After one last moment, Tony breathed deeply as he unfolded the letter:

> _Tony,_
> 
> _I’m not really sure how to say this in person…but I am so sorry…I kept the diary because I thought maybe I could learn more about your relationship with your father but I should have talked to you…you mean so much to me that I thought I could help you somehow…please forgive me._
> 
> _Steve._

Tony crumpled up the note in his hand as he felt his eyes well up with a stream of unexpected tears. He sat on the edge of the bed, quietly sobbing to himself before unfurling the note to read it again. He wasn’t sure what to do; it would have been nice if Steve had listened to him before and not kept the diary, but it was good to hear that he was sorry.

_But why not tell me in person?_ Tony managed to wonder as he wiped his eyes.

Tony waited before rising from the bed. Once he reached the bathroom, he realized that he had taken the letter with him. He looked down at his hand before walking the letter back to the table, laying out it flat, reading over it again.

That entire day, Tony mulled over Steve’s actions and their fight up until that point; it was true, although it took Tony a while to admit it to himself, that he had kept Steve from fully expressing himself, but Tony had felt so hurt by Steve not listening to him. Also, ever since getting to know Steve, Tony had to remind himself that he was old-fashioned and perhaps Steve thought a hand-written note would show his sincerity.

Later that night, Tony went to bed earlier than usual to catch up on sleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, thinking about Steve and Peter. He fished out Steve’s letter from the beside table and read it again.

After reading Steve's letter a few more times, Tony finally convinced himself that maybe he should try to calmly talk to Steve in person and just let him say what he had written out loud.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😏

_The next day…_

Tony let out a painful sigh before knocking firmly on the door to Steve and Bucky’s apartment.

_I should've called first…_

He backed away from the door, waiting anxiously for any response before the door opened slowly, revealing Bucky.

_And, of course, just my luck…_Tony inwardly whined.

“Hey, Tony.” Buck offered quietly as he crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe, “Steve isn’t here by the way.”

Tony nodded as he swallowed that weird lump in his throat again; he had been hoping to talk directly to Steve or to find no one at home at the very least. For some odd reason, Tony dreaded speaking to Bucky; although they only interacted on occasion, Tony could tell that Bucky was suspicious of him. It bothered him, especially after giving Steve such a hard time about their friendship.

“I know Steve sent you that letter, but…” Bucky started up again as it appeared that Tony was taking his time speaking, “…are you going to be calm enough to have a conversation?”

The comment incensed Tony who then immediately scrunched up his face in irritation. “Bucky, I’m just here to talk.”

“Is that even a good idea? I don’t know what you said to him, but Steve’s a fucking mess. I’ve never seen him _this_ hung up before.”

“Bucky,” Tony stepped forward, now inwardly agonizing over learning about Steve’s current emotional state, but too annoyed with Bucky’s overly protective behavior to address it, “we all know that you and Steve have an inseparable bond forged in childhood, but I think I may know him a _little _bit better than you.”

“Why?” Bucky shrugged, “because you’re fucking my best friend? You can’t even fully commit there either.”

Although he looked momentarily surprised by the accusation, Tony knew Bucky was right. He had been feeling a serious connection toward Steve, serious enough to believe that he might be in love but had refrained from saying it out loud. He couldn’t even have a serious conversation with Steve about the state of their relationship.

Tony sighed as he took a second, knowing that he needed to remain calm. “Bucky, please. I really just want to make things right with him, okay? Please just tell him that I came over to talk, all right?”

Bucky eyed Tony, clearly assessing whether he was serious. Tony knew he would have to play along; being close with Steve meant having some sort of relationship with his friends and making sure he was on their good side, especially with Steve’s best friend.

Bucky finally sighed loudly. “Fine. I’ll let him know you were here.”

Tony nodded quickly. “Thanks, Bucky. I really appreciate it.” He tried to smile but felt too overwhelmed in the moment to do so without grimacing. Tony said goodbye to Bucky before hurrying out of the building to get back to his car before Steve came back to the apartment.

* * *

_About a half hour later..._

Steve had left earlier that day to go for a run, attempting to use it as an opportunity to process his emotions. He ran back to the apartment not long after Tony had left to find Bucky standing in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee. Steve acknowledged him with a nod before stretching in the middle of the living room.

“Hey, uh, Tony was here while you were out…” Bucky informed Steve as he placed his cup on the counter before meeting Steve out in the living room.

Steve stopped stretching to stare dumbfoundedly at his friend. “What? Just now? What did he say?”

Bucky shrugged. “He just told me he wanted to talk.”

Steve nodded slowly as he sat down on the couch. Bucky let out a deep sigh as he joined him.

“Steve, just call him.”

Steve shook his head. “Every time we speak, I end up saying the wrong thing…that’s why I wrote him that stupid letter…”

Bucky perked up at the comment. “Well, it doesn’t sound like the letter was _that_ stupid. He did come all the way to Brooklyn to talk to you, Cap.” He chuckled as he jabbed Steve in the side a few times, but Steve barely responded.

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Steve, I get where you’re coming from, but I really don’t think Tony would have come over here if he weren’t trying to make things work…”

Steve nodded slowly. “…he was so upset the last time I saw him…I just made everything worse with arguing over Synergy in front of the team…I should have talked to him in private…”

“Cap, just say that to him in person. I’m getting the feeling that’s all he wants…definitely sounds like he’s willing to listen now…”

Steve glanced at Bucky with an apprehensive expression before hanging his head low. “I’m so bad at dating…”

Bucky laughed as he patted Steve on the back a few times. “Yeah, but you’re better at other things, like I wouldn’t survive if you didn’t cook for us. And you’re a great artist and shit.” He shrugged with a grin.

Steve smiled, but then he leaned back into the couch, still looking very much upset with the situation.

“Steve, you should call him…” Bucky paused, “…when have I ever steered you wrong? I’m with you till the very end…even when you’re too busy to hang out.” He teased.

Steve nodded wearingly, but he managed to smile at Bucky’s encouragement. Bucky patted him on the back once more before rising to walk back to the kitchen, now talking about their plans for that early evening with Sam.

As he listened, Steve figured he could call Tony later that night, that way he would have composed himself by then to calmly explain out loud what he had expressed in the letter.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Tony sat on the edge of his bed, tapping on his phone to pull up Steve’s contact profile from his favorite’s list. After talking to Bucky, he thought maybe he should wait to see if Bucky had managed to convince Steve to call him. However, as the hours dragged by, Tony could no longer wait. Now all he could think about was possibly losing Steve because he wouldn’t let him express himself in person.

_I shouldn’t have yelled at him…_Tony mentally grappled before composing a message to Steve.

**Tony: **Hey…can I call you for a quick second? I would like to talk.

Tony frowned at the message before quickly deleting it. He then drew in a deep breath before exhaling as he tapped on the phone icon in Steve’s contact profile to call him. It rang once before Steve answered.

“…hey,” Steve started on the other end, “…I was…just about to call you…” He laughed quietly, but to Tony he sounded nervous.

“Steve…” Tony figured he should just get on with it, “…I’m sor—”

“Wait, Tony.” Steve interrupted, “…I shouldn’t have read the diary…I really thought I could help somehow…but I should have listened to you…”

“Steve…” Tony waited a moment as he thought about Steve writing him that letter, “I should apologize for what I said to you…I wish I could take it back…” he paused, “…I do trust you, Steve. You’re my lab partner.” He managed to joke which prompted a restrained laugh from Steve.

“No, Tony. I screwed up,” Steve’s tone turned serious again, “I was so concerned about trying to help you that I didn’t think to consider how you might react…I don’t know if you’ve noticed this about me, but I have a tendency to want to ‘rescue’, I guess, the people I care about…I know it’s annoying…Bucky tells me about it all the time.” He laughed louder this time, which Tony appreciated.

Tony laughed back. “I have noticed it, but…honestly…and this might sound silly given the situation…that’s one of the things I appreciate about you, Steve…you’re just trying to be helpful…”

“Was I though? Next time, I’ll listen, okay? I need to earn your trust back, Tony.” Steve answered sternly.

Tony took a moment before responding. “I really appreciate that, Steve…it’s just that…the shit with my dad is taking me longer to get over…I hadn’t realized it until the trip…”

The end of the receiver was silent as Tony could tell that Steve was listening.

“…I never got the closure I wanted and I’m trying to deal with it in my own way, if that makes sense…?

“…of course, Tony…” Steve said after a brief pause, “but please remember that I’m here whenever you need me…”

Tony nodded, feeling his emotions bubble up to the surface again. “Thanks, Steve…”

Both ends of the connections went quiet before Tony thought of something to say. “You know, this is one of our usual sleepover nights…do you think it’s too late for you to come over…?

“I don’t think so…I’m just lying in bed.”

Tony laughed. “Oh yeah? What are you wearing?”

Tony smiled as he heard Steve laugh from his shameless flirting. “Uh, an undershirt and boxers.”

“Boxer briefs or shorts? There’s a difference and the difference_ is_ very important.” Tony teased.

“Briefs.” Steve quickly answered.

Tony chuckled. “Well then. I can have a car service pick you up if you want…”

“Thanks, Tony, but…” Steve paused for a moment, “actually, thank you, Tony. That would be great.”

Tony smiled as he realized that Steve was letting him take care of him in some small way. “Of course, Steve. Should I call it now?”

“Sure. I’ll get dressed.”

They chatted a little longer before hanging up. Tony stared at his phone, smiling to himself before calling a car for Steve.

* * *

_Not long after…_

Tony waited anxiously for Steve to arrive. He thought about ordering something for dinner, but then decided to wait on Steve. As soon as J.A.R.V.I.S. informed him that Steve was in the lobby, Tony sprinted from his home office to the foyer to greet Steve at the elevator, only to realize that he was more nervous about seeing him than he had ever been since they met. It felt as if the elevator ride up was taking longer than normal, but then Tony told himself to appreciate the extra time before facing Steve in person again.

After a few minutes, the elevator chimed with arrival, opening the doors to reveal Steve. Tony waved at him, timidly, almost blushing from his nerves.

“Hey, Steve…” Tony let out quietly, trying to smile, but he cringed from how awkward he felt.

“Hi, Tony.” Steve waved back before shoving both hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Tony nodded as he stepped to the side to let Steve in. “Uh, Peter’s over at a friend’s house…” He said as Steve walked into the foyer.

Steve nodded while looking around the space as if that were the first time he had ever been there. He then turned around to face Tony who was lingering near the elevator.

“Uh…maybe…” Steve shrugged, “…we can do something together this weekend? I miss seeing…you and Peter…” He shrugged again as he smiled weakly at Tony.

Tony nodded slowly. “Yeah, that sounds great, actually…I..er…we miss you too, Steve.”

Steve kept smiling before his expression changed slightly. He then walked up to Tony, giving him a tight hug. Tony, somewhat surprised by the suddenness of the hug, took a second before hugging Steve back. They embraced each other for some time before Steve let go to kneel in front of him, which quickly freaked Tony out; he wasn’t sure if Steve was about to propose or offer him a blow job.

_Although I wouldn’t mind a blow job…_Tony shook his head as he told himself to focus.

But instead of doing neither, Steve hugged Tony at the waist, tightly.

“I am so sorry, Tony. I care about you so much…”

Tony nodded, feeling the lump in his throat again. He held onto Steve, rubbing the back of his head, trying to find something to say, but couldn’t really articulate his thoughts clearly as he prevented himself from crying.

Tony ran a hand through Steve’s hair. “Steve…” he tried but was too overcome with emotion.

Steve let go to stand up straight, leaning forward to place both hands on Tony’s face to pull him into a kiss. Tony let Steve hold him as he wrapped both hands around Steve’s waist. Steve moved one hand from Tony’s cheek to place on his waist, kissing him one last time before hugging him tight again.

Tony hugged Steve back. “…Steve…” He began again, placing both hands on Steve’s arms to look at him directly, “…I…uh…really care about you, too…” He winced from everything he was feeling toward Steve but couldn’t bring himself to say more without bursting into a stream of tears.

Steve smiled at Tony before letting out an unexpected, relieved-sounding sigh. Something about it puzzled Tony; even though in his lowest moment he oscillated back and forth between breaking up with Steve and worrying about losing him, it never occurred to him that Steve might have been fretting about them breaking up also.

Tony finally smiled back, absent-mindedly looking in the direction of his bedroom. “Uh,” he laughed to himself as he ran a hand through his hair a couple times, “we could—wait sorry, are you hungry?”

Steve laughed. “I’m okay, I ate earlier—or well, unless you want to?”

Tony shook his head quickly. “No, I’m okay. I didn’t want you to think I was only thinking about sex now—or uh…” He cringed from accidentally saying his thoughts out loud.

Steve chuckled with a shrug. “…well I was kind of…thinking about it, too…because, you know, we haven’t seen each other for a while—but we don’t have to, of course.” He gestured with both hands, before placing one behind his head, clearly embarrassed.

Tony laughed nervously before Steve gave him a hug again. “Oh well…” Tony closed his eyes as he smiled to himself, letting Steve rub his back for some time.

Tony let go of Steve, but Steve held onto his waist, kissing Tony on the cheek, which almost caused Tony to giggle from the attention.

Tony cleared his throat. “…uh I was just doing some work in the office before you got here, so…” He laughed as he pointed in the direction of the office before walking toward it.

Steve smiled as he followed him, waiting for Tony to gather whatever he had been working on in the office before following him to the bedroom.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., lights.” Tony called as they entered the room.

Tony walked to the edge of the bed, shuffling around anxiously as if that had been the first he was alone with Steve in his room.

Steve stayed near the door, smiling at Tony with his arms crossed. “I’m fine with just going to bed, Tony.”

Tony laughed. “Why would I turn down the possibility of sex from someone like you, Rogers?” The statement sounded incredibly awkward, but for some reason the entire situation felt just as, if not more painfully awkward.

Steve nodded as he approached Tony. He reached out a hand to rub Tony’s cheek before kissing him again.

Tony laughed as he kissed Steve back. “To be honest, I’m a little nervous…but I don’t know why…”

Steve pulled away to look at him intently. “Let me take care of you tonight, okay?” He whispered softly as he rubbed Tony’s cheek.

Tony nodded wordlessly, too stunned to really respond as he let Steve kiss him again. They kissed each other for a moment or so before Steve gently pushed Tony onto the bed. Tony held onto Steve as he scooted them both up the bed to meet the headboard.

Steve laid down in between Tony’s legs, and Tony held onto him even tighter. Steve moaned quietly as he pushed down into Tony, feeling his body with both hands as best as he could as they kissed. Tony moaned back, gasping for air whenever he could as he let his body push upward into Steve’s.

Steve kiss Tony deeply before propping himself up to look down at him. “Tony…we need to talk…”

Tony barely nodded back, that sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach as he began over speculating what Steve might be referring to at such an inopportune time.

“Uh…okay…?”

Steve stared down at Tony. “…I need…to know where this is going…we haven’t really…talked about it out loud…”

Tony nodded again, feeling himself panic. “Uh…well…I’m definitely not seeing anyone else or even thinking about it…if that’s what you mean…”

Instead of responding, Steve continued to stare down at Tony. Tony shuffled around underneath him, trying to get comfortable, hoping Steve would just take the answer he had given.

Tony wanted to be honest with Steve, but to what extent now, he wasn’t sure. He cared so much for him, but the thought of getting close again and then possibility losing everything scared him. Steve was so different than anyone he had ever been with, but Tony had been dragging his feet the most with him. When he was dating Pepper, Tony had told her on their third date that they were probably going to get married.

_I have absolutely no chill whatsoever…_Tony thought to himself as he thought about that evening. And not only was he mulling over his past relationship failures, Tony was too traumatized now to tell Steve how he felt after the whole thing with his dad’s diary. His friends were right, he needed to take his time. Tony knew he needed to take things slow with Steve, so saying out loud how he truly felt needed to wait. Maybe just confirming the status of their relationship would be the best thing to do now.

Tony looked directly at Steve who was still waiting patiently for him to respond. His expression was stern, but it softened as Tony hesitated.

Tony took in a deep breath; being with Steve was definitely what he wanted, but he wanted to take things slower than he was apt to do.

“Rogers…are you asking me to be your boyfriend?” Tony grinned, trying to sound as lighthearted as possible.

Steve smiled before answering. “Tony, I’m not asking…I’m confirming.”

Tony attempted to retain his smile but he couldn’t stop his emotions from overrunning his composure; no one had ever been this direct with him before, especially after a serious fight.

Tony laughed quietly before answering. “…okay, yes. I agree with you…” He shrugged with another laugh before pulling Steve back on top of him, “…I’m your boyfriend, Rogers.” He teased, but managed to convey his sincerity.

Steve laughed with a huge smile as he leaned downward to kiss Tony. In that moment, it felt as if all the tension between the two finally melted away. As Tony held onto Steve at the waist to draw him nearer toward his body, pushing upward slowly, that vulnerable feeling resurfaced.

_I love you, Steve…_Tony thought again. Tony moved his head away from Steve who continued to kiss him. He couldn’t say his thoughts out loud; they had just confirmed the status of their relationship.

As Steve’s body began grinding against his, Tony couldn’t stop his thoughts from racing. He could just say out loud that he loved Steve. He, Steve, and Peter could officially become the family they’ve been acting like up until that point. Everything would finally make sense and Tony would finally be with the right person.

But Tony had thought Pepper had been the right person, and the people he had been with before that and so on and so on. He remembered once telling a past boyfriend that he knew they were in love one month into their relationship only to break up the month after. Once he told another ex-girlfriend one evening that they were going to adopt at least three kids, but then they broke up at the end of the following week after a stupid fight over meeting up somewhere for her birthday.

And probably the most troubling, at one point in his life, Tony also thought that he might have been in love with Tiberius, but Tony had been so blinded by his own insecurities to realize Tiberius was actually emotionally abusive.

Tony groaned loudly as he parsed through his whole dating life, squiggling underneath Steve as he placed a hand on his forehead, feeling fatigued from obsessing over past relationships when he should just be enjoying his time with Steve.

“Tony, are you okay?” Steve asked quietly, using one hand to prop himself up so he can look down at Tony again.

Tony shook his head. He was struggling with whether he should be honest.

_But then I could lose Steve…_

“Uh…” Tony started, looking away, “…uh, I just wanted to say…” he looked upward at Steve who was looking downward at him with a concerned expression.

“I just wanted to say…that…”

_Just fucking say it, Stark…_Tony’s inner self demanded.

Steve nodded as he waited for Tony. Tony looked away again before looking back up at Steve.

“…Steve…I…you’re…the…sexiest person I’ve ever been with…” he cringed as soon as the words left his mouth.

Steve’s expression turned curious as he stared at Tony, clearly thinking that Tony was about to say something more profound.

“Uh, thanks…?” Steve answered, half smiling from the comment, yet clearly confused by it.

Tony laughed nervously as he beat himself up on the inside for making such an empty comment.

“…uh…” He tried, shrugging.

Steve laughed, repositioning himself directly on top of Tony again. “So are you…” he whispered, kissing Tony’s neck before moving to his lips.

Tony moaned from the comment and feeling Steve. He kissed him back; he could feel that Steve cared about him, but Tony couldn’t be that honest with his feelings just yet. Maybe he needed to give it more time before telling Steve that he was in love with him and wanted to adopt more kids.

_Or whatever…_Tony then told himself to focus on Steve.

Besides, Steve was the type who liked taking things slow, so Tony figured he should do the same.

Also, if he confessed to Steve that he loved him, would Steve even say it back? There was no way Tony was going to put himself in that position especially after the huge fight they just had. No, he would just wait; everything was just as fine as it was.

Tony moaned again as Steve pushed downward into his body, using both hands to rub along his sides and his waist. Tony pushed upward into Steve as Steve’s hand squeezed his waist before migrating down nearer to Tony’s cock, which had been growing harder with Steve’s every movement. Tony gasped as he felt Steve rub him, taking his time as they kissed each other. Tony placed both hands on Steve’s shoulders before drawing one arm around his back to hold him close.

Steve kept rubbing him as he rubbed himself up against Tony, moaning louder as he buried his head into Tony’s chest. As Tony’s body overacted to feeling Steve, he pushed Steve onto his back, climbing on top of him. Tony reached downward to unbutton Steve’s shirt, fumbling somewhat as he tried to take it off. Steve laughed as he helped Tony with the buttons. He then sat up with Tony straddling his waist to remove Tony’s shirt. Tony went back to kissing Steve as soon as he was free, humping Steve’s cock, feeling himself and Steve getting hard from the movement between them.

“Fuck, Steve…” Tony moaned.

He moaned even louder as he felt Steve through the fabric of their clothes. Tony unzipped Steve’s jeans, feeling Steve through his boxers before pulling his cock out. He kissed Steve one more time before leaning downward to meet the tip of his cock, rubbing it with his thumb before using his mouth.

Steve moaned as Tony started sucking on his cock, taking his time at first before moving faster. Steve placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder, trying not to squeeze too tightly. Tony licked up and down before straightening up again. He grinned at Steve, removing the rest of his clothes before helping Steve with his.

Tony kissed Steve before reaching for the bedside table. He almost toppled over again as Steve caught him before reaching for the table himself, finding a tube of lube and a condom. Both Steve and Tony looked at each other simultaneously, perhaps silently signaling exactly what they wanted in that moment.

Tony then flipped over onto his back as Steve rubbed some lube on himself before squirting some onto his fingers. He kissed Tony softly, helping him to get comfortable before he used a free hand to position Tony directly in front of him. Steve rubbed Tony’s waist as he leaned forward, and Tony lifted his body and his legs for Steve, moaning as Steve’s fingers entered.

“Shit, Steve…” Tony gasped as he pushed back onto Steve’s fingers.

Steve nodded as he scissored his fingers inside of Tony. Tony squirmed on Steve’s fingers, amazed with how great Steve had become at fingering. Steve kissed Tony’s neck, and Tony gasped with every single movement, whining quietly from the feeling.

Steve kissed Tony on the neck as he pulled his fingers out. He used both hands to pull Tony’s body toward him at the waist before feeling his chest. He leaned forward to lick both of Tony’s nipples, taking his time at each one, making small noises as he licked Tony. Tony moaned some more as he rubbed his hands through Steve’s hair, losing himself from the sensation.

Steve tilted his chin upward to kiss Tony on the underside of his chin before straightening up. He rubbed Tony’s body before rubbing more lube on his cock, taking the condom to roll down the length of it. Tony whined with pleasure as he watched, anticipating the sensation of feeling Steve inside of him. Steve smiled, as he kissed Tony one last time before gently pushing himself inside. Tony’s body jerked from the reaction, causing Steve to hold onto him tightly with one hand.

“Oh my fucking god, Steve…” Tony gasped. He reached out to hold onto Steve who leaned forward to hug him.

Steve groaned as he pushed inside of Tony, sitting up straight again before touching Tony’s cock. Tony squirmed as he felt Steve, losing his mind from how great Steve felt. They remained like this, Tony humping his body on Steve’s cock and Steve pushing inside of him, starting out slow before speeding up. Tony whined some more as Steve pushed harder into his body.

“Tony, you feel so amazing…” Steve breathed, panting from how quickly he was moving.

Tony could feel himself coming to the edge, and as he neared that edge, his emotions got the best of him again.

_I love you, Steve…_Tony thought again, almost saying it out loud.

Tony nearly lost that edge as he willed away his thought, trying to focus on Steve. He reached downward for his cock, squeezing his eyes shut, thinking about coming all over Steve than telling him that he loved him.

Steve groaned again as Tony could feel that he was close too. He rubbed himself as Steve leaned forward with both hands on his body, holding him tightly.

Tony gasped. “Fuck, Steve. I’m going to come…”

Steve nodded, swearing quietly to himself as he gasped loudly, coming into Tony. Tony couldn’t help himself as he felt Steve come inside of him, rubbing his cock harder as he came all over his body and Steve’s.

Steve groaned as he pumped himself in and out of Tony before finally settling on top. Tony gasped out loud as he let go of his cock. He stretched out his arms on either side as Steve laid on top of him panting.

“Fuck…” Tony let out.

Steve nodded as he rubbed Tony’s body with both hands again, kissing him slowly. Tony wrapped a hand around Steve’s neck, pulling him close before Steve flipped over onto his back as both tried to catch their breath.

“Jesus fucking Christ…” Tony said out loud, rubbing his chest, thinking about every inch of his body Steve had either touched or licked.

After a second or so, Steve reached for some tissues next to the bed, handing one to Tony. Tony grinned as he accepted the tissue.

“That was so fucking hot, baby…” Tony tried to clean himself off, but he was too spent.

Steve nodded as he turned to the side to kiss Tony again. He reached out a hand to caress his cheek before turning back onto his back.

“That felt so amazing…” Steve finally let out.

Tony laughed, although for some reason, it hurt to laugh; his chest was feeling weird again. He shook his head as he turned to face Steve.

“I don’t know how I’ll be able to sleep while thinking about you…” Tony whispered, trying to retain his normal outside composure.

Steve laughed. “I think we’re in the same boat.”

Tony smiled as he buried his head into Steve’s chest, using one hand to draw him close to his body. Steve wrapped an arm around his shoulder to pull him in close. He kissed the top of Tony’s head before settling.

Tony continued to smile, now on the verge of smiling ridiculously from how close he and Steve were. They laid like this before eventually falling asleep.

* * *

_Later in the week…_

“…of course! But you can count on the work we’ve been doing here…no need to worry…”

Obadiah was chatting loudly with one of Stark Industries more important investors. They had met early that morning at Stark Tower to discuss financial business. Ever since the fate of Synergy became even more uncertain, Obadiah had been calling and meeting with investors to convince them to support bidding for open contracts.

The investor looked relived as she listened to Obadiah ramble on some more about the project. They discussed some other business items as Obadiah rode the elevator down to the lobby with the investor. He escorted the investor to her car, lingering as he watched her driver whisk her away down the street. Obadiah then looked downward at his wristwatch, smiling to himself.

He walked back inside the building up to the security desk. “I have an important package arriving this afternoon,” Obadiah began, staring the guard down, “please make sure it gets delivered to my office promptly and personally.”

The security guard nodded quickly. “Of course, Mr. Stane!”

Obadiah barely said goodbye to the guard before walking to the elevator bank to access the employee express elevator. He looked down at his wristwatch again, noting the time to himself.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

**Steve:** Hey, I’m grabbing lunch with Sam today. C U after?

**Tony:** Sounds good! Meet me in the lab after lunch.

**Steve:** Okay! 😊

Tony smiled at Steve’s text message before chugging the rest of his coffee. He shoved his phone into his pocket before throwing some things into his work bag, rushing out of his home office to get the elevator.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Tony began as he entered the elevator,” send an email to Banner to let him know I’ll meet him in his lab during lunch.”

“Right away, Sir.” J.A.R.V.I.S. answered as Tony rode the elevator down to the Synergy labs.

* * *

_Later that afternoon…_

“Excuse me.”

The security guard sitting at the desk glanced upward to see a mail carrier holding out a giant package over the counter.

“How can I help you?” The guard asked, trying to see past the package.

The carrier coughed a few times before answering. “I have this package here for a ‘Mr. Obadiah Stane’.”

The guard nodded, motioning for another guard to come over to the desk. “Can you take this package up to Mr. Stane’s office right away, please?” He said to the second guard.

The guard nodded before reaching out for the package, but the carrier refused to hand it over. “Uh, better let me take it up to him,” the carrier explained, “it’s _extremely_ delicate.”

The guard eyed the carrier before exchanging glances with his colleague. He then held up one finger before dialing Obadiah’s office phone.

“…Mr. Stane? Your package is here…” The guard looked back up at the carrier who looked wholly unbothered by the entire situation, “…yep…okay…I’ll send him up with a guard…”

The guard then motioned for his colleague to escort the carrier through security then to the elevator bank and up to Obadiah’s office. As soon as they arrived at the office, the guard knocked on the door.

“Come in!” Obadiah’s voice emanated on the other side.

The guard opened the door. “Mr. Stane,” he pointed to the carrier, “your—”

“Yes, of course!” Obadiah quickly stopped what he was doing, rising from the desk to shoo the guard out of the office as he welcomed the carrier inside. The guard tried to response, but Obadiah slammed the door in his face.

“Don’t screw this up, Loki.” Obadiah wagged a finger at the carrier who was now taking his cap off with a wide grin.

Loki snorted as he placed the cap on Obadiah’s desk. He set the package next to it, shedding his coveralls before opening the package to find another disguise and his tool kit.

“No need to worry, Stane,” Loki brushed past Obadiah has soon as he finished dressing, “anyone in the lab?”

Obadiah crossed his arms as he watched Loki reach the door to exit the office. “Anthony should be in Dr. Banner’s lab and Mr. Rogers is out to lunch…”

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Tony was standing in Bruce’s lab, examining a projected image of whatever they could surmise of Thanos’s weapon.

Tony pointed to a section of the projection. “I guess that’s where the core should be…”

Bruce nodded as he adjusted his eyeglasses. “It wasn’t clear from the footage, but if Thanos is trying to construct something similar to the device, it’ll be more or less in the same spot. Shuri’s working on cleaning up more of the footage with Natasha down at S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Tony nodded back as he crossed his arms. “The board is dragging its feet on this thing, but I think we can make a solid case for letting the government pick up Synergy. Also, we can use what we learned from this fiasco to make—”

“Unity? Harmony? Symbiosis, perhaps?” Bruce interjected with a smile.

Tony laughed heartily. “Let’s not get _too_ cute about it, Banner…”

* * *

Loki used the empty service corridors to get to Steve and Tony’s lab. However, he was amazed that the few people he did run into didn’t seem to recognize him, annoying him greatly.

_Doesn’t anyone remember that I used to work here?_ He grumbled.

As soon as he reached the lab, Loki looked around and through the glass façade; he could see the Synergy device sitting on top a console.

Loki grinned as he then tapped on the access panel of the lab, using the codes Tony was forced to give to executive committee after learning more about Thanos. As the lab door clicked open Loki slipped in, relieved that no one noticed him.

He walked up quickly to the console, producing an instrument he usually used to hack codes. He looked behind himself again, accidentally dropping the instrument on the floor, swearing loudly. He looked behind himself once more, waiting a moment before continuing to break into the device.

The device clicked, indicating that the main hatch to its hardware was open. Loki grinned as he proceeded to tinker around. Everything was going according to plan, until Loki came up against the failsafe Shuri had helped Bruce and Tony reconstruct. Loki grimaced as he tried to work around it, but he knew something about the failsafe would trigger a reaction. He tried to reroute the wiring, but couldn’t figure out the mechanics of the failsafe.

Loki swore as he panicked, trying to finish what he could without tripping the failsafe. The device made a noise, and Loki swore again, banging on the device a few times with his elbow before it clicked once more. He couldn’t get to the reactor mechanism in time which would have controlled the size of a blast, but Loki paid little attention to it, looking behind himself to see that the corridor was clear. He straightened himself out before walking briskly out of the lab to the employee express elevator.

* * *

As Steve entered the lobby of Stark Tower, he bumped into a figure rushing quickly out of the building.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Excuse me.” Steve said politely to the hurried individual, but he didn’t respond as Steve watched the man jog down the sidewalk.

Steve paid little attention to the incident as he walked inside, greeting the security guard before accessing the employee express elevator. After the elevator stopped on his floor, he walked as quickly as possible to the lab, hoping to see Tony.

* * *

_Not long after…_

Tony swiped an image away on the projection. He then zoomed in with his fingers. “Okay, what if we—”

Suddenly, a deafening bang coupled with shouts and screaming erupted outside the lab. Tony’s ears rang as he immediately rushed to the entrance of the lab to see people running down the hallway, shouting for help. He looked around, confused by the commotion, seeing small pieces of debris flying around.

As more of his senses returned, he could smell smoke and fire. The moment felt too surreal; he tried to orient himself by turning toward the opposite end of the corridor toward his lab.

But what he saw kept Tony from moving any further. Down the corridor, as more people gathered near the source of the bang, Tony could see smoke and fire spewing out of his lab.

“Steve?” Tony gasped automatically.

There was more shouting and screaming as someone yelled that they could see someone lying on the ground in the lab.

“Steve!” Tony shouted.

He ran down the corridor, shoving people away as he tried to get through the mangled mess that was the remnant of his lab. He jumped over fallen glass panels of the façade, seeing Steve lying in the middle of the lab unconscious.

“Steve!” Tony shouted again. He tried to move toward Steve but was stopped by someone grabbing his arm.

“Tony! Wait!” Bruce was holding Tony by the arm as Tony struggled to get to Steve.

“Hold on, Tony! Wait for the paramedics!”

Tony yanked away from Bruce, running over to Steve. He nearly fell over as he knelt down next to Steve who had sustained a few injuries from the blast. Tony instinctively reached out to hold him, but hesitated, not really sure whether Steve was still alive.

“…Steve…oh my god…” Tony could barely process what was happening as he sat back helplessly paralyzed.

Bruce ran over to him, trying to get him out of the lab. Tony struggled, trying to get back to Steve, but Bruce practically manhandled him, dragging him away from the lab as Tony continued to scream for Steve.


	37. Chapter 37

“So…despite how Mr. Rogers looks right now…”

Strange was standing over Steve’s hospital bed, flanked by the rest of the Synergy team. As Strange continued, everyone quickly glanced at Steve before returning their undivided attention toward Strange.

“…he’ll make a full recovery. I’ve never seen anything like it…” Strange scratched his chin, clearly thinking deeply, “…those heat resistant panels absorbed most of the blast...still...its depth and size would have killed almost anyone else…”

Clint, standing in between Natasha and Thor, peeped a small, surprised noise before staring directly at Tony. Everyone else in the room shuffled around awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact with Tony.

Tony winced; he knew everyone was reacting to the fact that if he had been in the lab with Steve, the explosion would have definitely killed him. Yet that wasn’t the thing that was bothering him the most; he was too focused on Steve’s well-being to fully process that outcome.

“…so, what’s next, Strange?” Bruce was standing next to the hospital room door with Shuri.

Strange nodded as he crossed his arms. “Although the surgery went smoothly, we’ll need to keep him under for the next few days. We’ll see how he’s doing then. But if he wakes in the meantime, I think he’ll be well enough to go home.”

An audible sigh of relief permeated throughout the room before Strange further described Steve’s recovery. After some more discussion, everyone filtered out the room until only Bruce and Tony were left alone with Steve.

“Tony…” Bruce walked up to Tony who was now standing next to Steve’s bed, “…it’s not your fault…”

Tony nodded slowly as he sat down in a chair next to the bed. Steve had been in the hospital for a couple days since the explosion and this was the first time anyone had seen him since his surgery.

The blast had injured Steve while also causing severe damage to Tony’s lab and the labs surrounding it. The main corridor leading to the labs had been emptied at the time of the explosion, so Steve had been the only person to sustain a significant injury.

After accessing the damage from afar, Tony knew it would take a while to clear out the debris from the lab due to the extent of the damage and any sensitive material that may be exposed. However, it wasn’t until earlier that day the team went to visit Steve had it been discovered that some faulty wiring in the Synergy device had caused the explosion.

Pepper had the Stark Industries Chief of Security inspect the security tapes to find a culprit, but he came up short. Fury then had Shuri and Natasha review the tapes at S.H.I.E.L.D. to find any similarities between it and the tapes Loki had doctored. So far, there had been no correlation between the security tapes of the blast and the Loki tapes.

“…Steve’s lying in this hospital bed because of Synergy which makes it my fault…” Tony quietly countered Bruce, never taking his eyes off Steve, “…I knew this project would be a fucking nightmare…” He groaned as he leaned forward on the edge of the bed, fighting back another stream of tears.

Bruce nodded with a sigh, rubbing Tony’s shoulder. “It was an accident, Tony…”

Tony barely acknowledged him as he began sobbing quietly with his head in his hands. He could hardly function after it was discovered that the Synergy device had been the cause of the explosion. Not only did it almost kill Steve, but the device was becoming more of a liability for the company.

Tony had stayed in the hospital the day and a half Steve was in surgery while Peter stayed with May. Sam and Bucky were also at the hospital: Sam talked with Tony while Bucky ignored them, clearly upset that his best friend was in the hospital. Tony had missed work to wait for news at the hospital, but eventually Bruce managed to convince him to go home until Steve was stable enough to receive visitors. However, Tony couldn’t rest at home; all he could think about was being the reason why Steve was in the hospital.

“…Tony…” Bruce kept his hand on Tony’s shoulder. He looked behind himself to see the rest of the team waiting outside in the hallway. He then looked down at Tony before squeezing his shoulder once more before letting go.

Tony kept his head in his hands as he heard the door to the room shut quietly. He wiped his face before looking up at Steve, taking a hold of his hand before rubbing it, thinking back to the last time they had spoken to each other.

Tony had dropped Peter off at school in the morning before visiting Steve before work, but he still wasn’t allowed to see him until the team visited him that late afternoon. May was more than fine with picking up Peter after school so Tony could stay with Steve for a few hours after work before going home to have dinner with Peter. It helped developing some sort of routine but seeing Steve for the first time since the explosion was becoming too much for Tony to bear.

“…I’m so sorry, Steve…” Tony whispered. The memory of seeing Steve lying in the middle of the lab after the explosion made Tony cry again as he leaned forward, nearly choking from how upset he had become.

* * *

_Out in the hallway…_

“Any news on those tapes?” Bruce said as he closed the door.

Natasha shook her head as she looked at Shuri who also looked spent. “Nothing. If someone doctored the tapes, they did a much better job this time around.”

Bruce sighed as he removed his glasses. He turned slightly to look at Tony and Steve through the window.

“Okay, keep searching. But we have to keep this on the low, okay?”

Clint stepped forward. “Let’s put the squeeze on Selvig for more info. He has to know more.”

Thor actively nodded his head, rubbing his hands together. “Indeed. Also, if only S.H.I.E.L.D. would let me speak with my brother.”

Bruce sighed again, shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If Tony’s right and the missing link in this whole thing is Obadiah, who knows if those two are still working with him.”

Both Clint and Thor looked crestfallen over not being able to interrogate Dr. Selvig and Loki further.

“Clint. Switch places with Shuri on those tapes,” Bruce pointed at Clint before addressing Shuri, “Shuri, I need you back in the lab. Let’s look through what we have so far on Thanos’s weapon. In the meantime, let’s all stay on the low as the dust settles…”

* * *

_The next early evening…_

Tony walked up to the counter, signing in on the hospital visitor list before making his way to Steve’s room. He waved at some of the nurses he had gotten to know while visiting Steve before entering the room. Tony hesitated near the door, watching Steve sleep; the machines hooked up to Steve were humming quietly. Tony sighed as he walked up to Steve’s bed, placing a tote bag on a bedside table before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“…hey…I brought you some things…” Tony said softly before rummaging through the bag.

“…I thought maybe I could read to you for a bit before I need to pick up Peter…” Tony pulled out a couple books from the bag, spreading them out on the bed as if Steve could see them.

Tony reached back into the bag. “And Peter did this sketch of the two of you. It’s actually really good…” Tony smiled weakly at Steve, “…you’ll like it when…” he choked a little on a sob quickly forming in his throat, “…when you wake up…” he finally got out before rubbing Steve’s leg. He delicately placed the sketch on the table next to the bag.

Tony waited before continuing. “…I also brought some snacks…but those are for me, obviously…” He choked back another sob, “…you know how I like to graze…” he attempted to joke, rubbing Steve’s leg more vigorously.

Tony watched Steve’s chest rise and fall with assistance from the ventilator. Tony wiped his eyes as he watched Steve, thinking about the first time they had used the Synergy device together. He waited, now thinking he should try to catch up on work before taking a break to read to Steve.

He took a moment before slowly rising from the bed, walking to the corner of the room where there was a chair. He picked up the chair to carry back over to Steve’s bed. He looked at Steve, smiling a little as he reminded himself that Steve was getting better. He positioned the chair next to the bed, sitting down as he grabbed his snacks and some documents he needed to review.

Tony worked for about an hour before he glanced up at the window looking into Steve’s room to find Bucky walking past it.

_Oh great…_Tony’s anxiety over Steve heightened to new extremes.

Sam had been in constant communication with Tony since the explosion, but Tony hadn’t heard a word from Bucky. The only time they had seen each other was the day of the explosion at the hospital and Bucky had refused to talk to anyone. Sam had told Tony that he and Bucky went to visit Steve about an hour before the team did yesterday. And Tony was grateful that he had managed to avoid Bucky up until now; he was still feeling weird from their last conversation.

_Just the thing I need right now…_Tony groaned to himself. He knew he would probably run into Bucky again at the hospital but figured he would also be with Sam.

Tony watched Bucky slowly open the door; he took his time placing a tablet down on the table next to him. Bucky stopped short from entering the room, shoving his hands into his pockets as he finally stepped in.

“Tony.” Bucky coolly addressed Tony before walking up to Steve’s bed. Tony continued to watch Bucky as he took his time approaching.

“Bucky.” Tony answered, still seated.

Bucky sighed; he looked behind himself before facing the bed. “Sam should be here any minute. He had a deadline today and his boss is being a jerk about letting him leave early to see Steve.”

Tony nodded, also annoyed with Sam’s boss for not letting a needed mediator mediate between him and Bucky.

Bucky looked down at Steve before addressing Tony again. “Uh, thank you for coming to see him, but you can leave whenever. Sam and I have it covered…besides…” Bucky looked directly at Tony, “you should probably be with your kid.”

Tony had to prevent himself from grimacing at the comment. He was over the melodramatics with Bucky.

Tony stood up to be somewhat at eye level with Bucky on the opposite side of Steve’s bed. “Bucky, I really don’t understand what your problem is with me, but not only is my kid safe with his aunt, I’m going to keep visiting Steve until he wakes up.”

Bucky’s facial expression had barely changed, but Tony could feel the unmistakable tension between the two of them as they stared each other down.

“If you really cared about Steve, you wouldn’t have let some explosion in _your_ building almost kill him.” Bucky coolly responded.

Tony made a face before laughing to himself, knowing that Bucky was only trying to get a rise out of him. He turned around to sit down in his chair.

“I don’t have the time or the energy to deal with this right now, Bucky. You can do whatever you want, but I’m not leaving this room until later this evening.”

Bucky stared at Tony then back down at Steve before walking to the other side of the room. He leaned up against the wall, crossing his arms. The atmosphere grew exceedingly intense and silent, filled only with the sounds from the machines keeping Steve stable. After about thirty minutes, Sam finally appeared. He rushed into the room, panting from jogging through the hospital.

“Hey…” Sam stopped in his tracks abruptly, making it obvious that he could feel the tension in the room.

“Hey, Tony.” Sam nodded at Tony. Tony nodded back before looking back at Steve.

Sam turned toward Bucky. “Buck, may I speak with you outside, please?”

Tony kept his eyes trained on Steve as he heard Bucky grumble to Sam before the two of them shuffled outside of the room.

* * *

  
“Dude, Buck,” Sam said immediately as he closed the door to the room behind him, “you need to relax and leave Tony alone.”

Bucky sighed as he motioned toward the room. “Sam, he almost killed Steve. You can’t be okay with that.”

Sam looked behind himself through the room window at Steve and Tony before looking back at Bucky.

“You know that’s not what happened. I know I’m not aware of the details, but it sounds like something shady is going on and there’s a security breach or whatever. Tony had nothing to do with it.”

Bucky rolled his eyes as he settled, but as he took his time responding, Sam interjected.

“Hey, what’s going on? You know how into Tony Steve is. Why can’t you just deal and be happy for your friend?”

Bucky sighed. He looked past Sam through the room before looking downward. “Ugh…I’m going to sound so stupid saying this…”

Sam shrugged as Bucky continued. “...I feel...like I’m going to lose my best friend…I’m not used to Steve being in serious relationships…or in a relationship at all for that matter…” He crossed his arms as he looked up at Sam intently, “…I thought we would hang out more after moving in together but…we never hang out…he spends _all _his free time with Tony…and I don’t think he realizes that it’s annoying the shit out of me…”

Sam nodded with a sincere expression on his face as he listened.

“…I don’t know how to bring it up because he’ll just get all weird and sentimental. I just want him to know that he can split his time between his friends and Tony…that’s all…when they were fighting, that was the most I had seen Steve in a while…”

Sam sighed, but he smiled at Bucky. “You know how Steve is. He cares about the people closest to him, but I think he would like it better if you told him what was up instead of being weird around Tony.”

Bucky slowly nodded back. “Yeah…I guess you’re right…”

Sam patted Bucky on the back a couple times. “You also gotta make things right with Tony. You know how serious they are…”

Bucky nodded again as Sam motioned for them to reenter the room. Tony had stayed in his chair next to the bed, trying to do work, but mostly watching Steve.

Bucky approached the bed. “Tony…is it all right if I chat with you for a second?

From the sound in Bucky’s voice, Tony could tell that he was being straightforward, although he was still irritated by their earlier exchange. Tony glanced at Steve before answering Bucky; he knew Steve would want him to be civil.

“Yeah, sure.” Tony finally responded, rising from his chair to follow Bucky out of the room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Tony leaned up against the door. Bucky walked to the opposite side of the hallway, placing a hand behind his head, seemingly trying to come up with the best thing to say.

“Look, Tony…” Bucky hung his head as he sighed to himself, “ever since Steve broke up with his ex-girlfriend, I’ve been maybe a little more than over protective of his feelings…uh...Steve is usually _so _bad at dating…” Bucky laughed to himself which eased Tony. He could tell that Bucky was trying.

Bucky looked at Tony. “Before I moved back to the states, Steve and I used to talk every week…but ever since he started working at Stark Industries…I barely see him…”

Tony nodded as he readjusted his position. He understood where Bucky was coming from; before seeing Steve, Tony thought he was going to die alone while his friends met their soulmates.

“I, uh, used to feel like that before I met Steve…” Tony quietly volunteered.

Bucky waited for Tony to continue. Tony took a deep breath, feeling the dull sensation in his chest.

“I really care about Steve…a lot. I feel terrible that he got hurt because of me…I-I just…” But Tony couldn’t continue; something about talking about Steve out loud like this was debilitating.

Tony took his time looking directly at Bucky who was now looking at him with the sincerest expression.

“…Steve means a lot to me…” Tony admitted instead. There was no way he was going to tell Bucky before Steve that he was in love.

A smile crept up on Bucky’s face. Something about it was both relieving and unnerving to Tony. Bucky lingered before laughing to himself again. Tony shrugged as he tried to decipher Bucky’s mannerisms.

“Uh, Steve…cares about you too, Tony…er, I mean, he told me.” Bucky offered.

Tony smiled, now feeling the sensation in his chest lessen. “Thanks, Bucky. That means a lot.”

After a few moments of some inevitable awkwardness, the two chatted about Steve a bit longer before going back into the hospital room.

* * *

_At the end of the week…_

Tony was in his work office, packing his work bag to get ready to see Steve at Mount Liberty. As he packed away a few folders containing some documents he needed to review, there was a hard knock at his door.

“Come in!” Tony called, never taking his eyes off his task.

“Anthony.” Obadiah had stepped into the office.

Tony sighed loud enough for Obadiah to get the point, looking directly at him before resuming packing.

“What do you want, Obie? I’m about to leave to visit Steve.”

Obadiah walked to the middle of the office, declining to take a seat. “Despite this unfortunate accident—” Tony groaned as Obadiah ignored him, “and even though the board is pushing to dismantle Synergy—”

“We’re _not _dismantling anything, Obie, until all the options have been considered.” Tony sharply corrected.

Obadiah ignored again him as he calmly continued. “They would still like to have a private event to assuage investors. The timing of this is inconvenient at best. Thank god no one else was hurt.”

Tony groaned as he shook his head, but he finished packing his things before responding. “Obie, I really don’t have the bandwidth to deal with this shit right now.” He closed his eyes, took a deep, much-needed breath as he motioned toward Obadiah with one hand.

Obadiah seized the moment as he grinned at Tony. “Speaking of Mr. Rogers. Part of the board’s decision is resting on the fact that _two_ of your team members have been seriously injured. And both, I might add, on company property.”

Tony dropped his work bag down on the desk with a heavy sigh. “Well, you must be _really _happy now, Obie. Are you really here just to gloat? I’m more worried about Steve now than the fucking project at this point.”

Obadiah scoffed. “I’m only looking out for the company, Anthony. We need to keep our investors happy or there won’t be a Stark Industries after this. We must get ahead of this before the press does.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Just figure out the event shit with Pepper and only include me when needed.” He picked up his bag before brushing past Obadiah to exit the office. He opened the door before motioning for Obadiah to leave.

“If you need me, I’ll be at the hospital.” Tony said sternly, waiting for Obadiah to exit the office.

Obadiah stared at Tony, cracking a slight smile before walking toward the door. He walked past Tony before turning somewhat. They glared at each other before Obadiah patted Tony on the shoulder, keeping his hand in place as he looked at Tony intently.

“Everything will work out accordingly, my boy.” Obadiah nearly whispered with the most disingenuous expression that made Tony sick.

Tony reached for Obadiah’s hand, shoving it off his shoulder. “Don’t you ever fucking touch me, Obie.”

Obadiah kept grinning as he spun around to walk down the corridor. Tony watched him leave before marching off in the opposite direction to access the elevator. He rode the elevator down to the lobby, nearly doubling over from how unsettling Obadiah had been since they launched Synergy. He counted to himself, trying to think about Steve getting better as the elevator reached the lobby.

Tony drove himself to the hospital, signing in like he usually did before walking to Steve’s room. He stopped to look at Steve through the room window, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself before entering. He walked up slowly to the bed, still trying to get used to seeing Steve in his current state.

Tony inhaled and then exhaled deeply as he sat down next to Steve’s bed. He set his work bag down on the ground before taking Steve’s hand.

“…Steve…I should have told you this before….” He gulped, struggling with what he wanted to say.

The machines continued to hum quietly as Tony looked at Steve before looking behind himself at the window to make sure no one was coming into the room.

“…after the trip to the Hamptons…I…ugh…” Tony rubbed his forehead with his free hand, “…this whole thing is a nightmare because of me…” He groaned.

“…but…I just wanted to say…that…and…I’m sorry it’s taking me so long to say this…I think…” Tony sighed as he hung his head. Even with Steve unconscious, Tony couldn’t say that he loved him out loud.

“…that…I think…”

A few minutes passed as Tony shook his head, now looking away from Steve, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say.

“…Tony?”

Tony looked up suddenly to see that Steve was awake.

“…Tony? What…happened?”

“Steve! You’re awake!” Tony instinctively reached out for Steve, rising from his chair to give him a hug, but Steve winced as he moved toward him.

“…sorry…” Tony said quietly, preventing himself from attacking Steve. He took a hold of Steve’s hand, now struggling with speaking from being overwhelmed by his emotions.

“W-what happened, Tony?”

Tony shook his head, too overjoyed that Steve was awake to focus. “Steve…uh…there…uh…was an accident…”

Steve’s eyes darted around the room as he tried to sit up in the bed. “I just remember walking into the lab—oh my god, Tony!”

Tony shook his head again, now trying to get Steve to calm down. “Steve, it’s okay. No one else was hurt…and Strange said you can leave any time soon now…” He attempted to smile but he could tell that Steve was upset.

Steve nodded slowly. He leaned up against the back of the bed, clearly trying to remember what happened.

“How could this happen, Tony…?

Tony shook his head. He reached out to rub Steve’s shoulder. “I don’t know, but whoever we’re dealing with is more dangerous than I thought…”

Steve nodded wearingly, but before he could respond, Strange appeared in the room.

“Ah, Mr. Rogers! You’re awake.” He greeted with a smile as he walked to the other side of Steve’s bed. Tony quickly let go of Steve, feeling awkward about being that close to Steve in such a small room in front of other people.

Steve looked at Tony. “Uh, hi, Dr. Strange.” He answered, sounding just as awkward as Tony looked.

Ignoring them both, Strange chuckled. “I’m sure Tony already told you what happened, but long story short, you survived a pretty devastating explosion. We brought you into surgery, which went extremely well, and you’ve been here for several days recovering. But,” Strange clapped his hands together, “you’re free to go whenever. You're healing faster than I had expected.”

Steve nodded slowly, looking back and forth between Strange and Tony.

“I’ll have a nurse send in the discharge papers. You’re very lucky, Mr. Rogers.” Strange carefully patted Steve on the shoulder before quickly rushing out of the room to get to another patient.

Tony looked at Steve who still looked confused by the situation. “How do you feel?” Tony asked quietly.

Steve grimaced, but he smiled as best as he could. “Sore, I think? I’m just…really confused…”

The candid frustration evident in the sound of Steve’s voice made Tony laugh. He reached out again to take Steve’s hand.

“That’s completely understandable…but please don’t worry about it…the team’s on it…you have to get better…” he looked away before looking at Steve again, “…uh, I talked to Bucky and he doesn’t mind if I take care of you…until you get better…”

Steve looked surprised by the offer. “Tony, you don’t have to do that…”

Tony shook his head with a smile. “I know that, but I want to.”

Steve eventually smiled back with a nod. “…that’s really nice of you, Tony.”

Tony hesitated before rising from his chair again. He leaned forward, trying to give Steve a kiss, but then they were interrupted again by a nurse.

“Mr. Rogers? Here are your discharge papers.” The nurse walked up to the bed as Steve and Tony pulled apart from one another. The nurse waited patiently for Steve to sign the papers, but he was struggling to do so because his muscles were fatigued.

“Thanks, Mr. Rogers.” The nurse took the clipboard back, “you can leave whenever.”

The nurse then walked briskly out of the room as Tony and Steve stared after him.

“So,” Tony looked back at Steve as soon as they were alone, “are you ready to go?”

Steve nodded, smiling at Tony which prompted that warm feeling on the inside. “Yeah…I should get some stuff from home.”

Tony nodded as he helped Steve sit up in the bed. He walked over to the other side of the room to grab a wheelchair.

“I can get you what you need. I have to pick up Peter from May’s anyway.” He said as he reached out a hand to help Steve into the chair.

It took some time getting Steve out of the hospital, but Tony drove him to Stark Tower, setting him up in his bedroom before he drove out to Brooklyn where he picked up some extra clothes for Steve. Tony then picked up Peter who was excited to find out that Steve would be staying with them for some time.

“Now, remember Steve’s accident,” Tony pulled into the private residence garage of the tower with Peter bouncing around in the passenger seat, “he’s not feeling well so he might not be able to do much for a while.”

“How long is he staying?” Peter asked trying to get out of his seat. Tony reached over to help him with the belt.

“Until he gets better.”

Peter nodded quickly before jumping out of car. “I hope he stays forever!” He shouted as he dashed to the elevator.

Tony lingered near the car, now ruminating over the possibility of Steve moving in with them.

_That’s not too bad of an idea…_Tony smiled to himself as he jogged after Peter.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😉

_Several days later…_

Tony carefully nestled himself on the bed next to Steve as he whipped out a few sheets of paper containing Steve’s updated recovery plan.

“Okay, so Strange emailed me a few instructions for your new recovery plan…” Tony glanced over at Steve who was lying flat on his back, already expressing his annoyance with the situation. Tony ignored him as he reached for his eyeglasses sitting on top of the table next to the bed.

“…you have physical therapy twice a week, so, I’ll take half days on those days to drive you there.”

Steve groaned as he lazily slapped at the papers. “Tony, you don’t have to do that…don’t they have a shuttle service or something at the hospital?”

Tony effortlessly whisked the sheets of paper away from Steve so he could continue reading the instructions.

“Rogers, it’s fine. I don’t mind taking you. Actually, I prefer doing it so I can make sure you do your home exercises correctly.”

Steve sighed, trying to turn over to face Tony more directly, wincing from the pain.

Tony watched Steve struggle. “Rogers, what the hell are you doing?”

Steve stopped moving, lying back down on his back to stare up at the ceiling. “I’m trying to read the instructions…” He answered with a frustrated sigh.

Tony frowned at Steve before straightening the instructions out. “And for your home exercises,” he continued, as Steve groaned again, “you’re supposed to work on what they show in therapy for at least ten minutes a day.”

“I can move around just fine.” Steve countered with a whine.

Tony hopped off the bed in a huff. “Yesterday, I had to help you to the bathroom _and _back to the bed.” He motioned with his hands to demonstrate Steve’s failed excursion to and from the bathroom.

Steve struggled to sit up in the bed, but then he gave up. “It’s probably because I’ve been lying in this bed for days. I really just want to go on a run…”

Tony shook his head. “You gotta do the basics first before trying to run, Steve. Otherwise you’ll wind up in the hospital again. Also, Fury said he won’t sign off on you rejoining the team unless you go to therapy. And, I don’t think I need to remind you that you were in a lab explosion not too long ago.”

Steve let out a groan as he finally pushed himself up to sit up in the bed, but he made faces from how sore his body felt. Tony sighed as he picked up Steve’s recovery instructions from the bed.

“This is probably one of those instances where being a hero just makes you look ridiculous.” Tony teased, yet communicated that he was serious about Steve’s continued recovery.

Steve nodded as he looked away from Tony, sighing. “I’m only about to agree with you because it hurts to do anything else.”

Tony laughed as he joined Steve on the bed again, reaching over carefully to kiss him, and not long after, there was a soft knock on the bedroom door.

“Who is it?” Tony called even though he knew it was Peter.

The door creaked open slowly, first showing a tiny hand before the rest of Peter emerged from the hallway.

“I just came to see how Steve is…” He answered quietly.

Tony shrugged as he looked at Steve. “How are you doing, Steve?”

Steve rolled his eyes at Tony before smiling at Peter. “I’m fine, Peter. Thank you for checking in on me.”

Peter nodded as he shifted back and forth on his feet, making it apparent that he had something else more important on his mind.

“Tony, is it okay if Ned spends the night on the weekend?”

Tony crossed his arms. “If it’s all right with his mom, then it’s fine with me.”

Peter nodded quickly, making a move to exit the room, but Tony jumped off the bed to catch him before he could leave.

“Hey, you have to clean your room though, Parker. You know the deal.”

Peter dodged Tony. “I did last week!”

Tony let out an exasperated sigh as he jogged after Peter down the hallway to the nine-year-old’s bedroom. “Oh yeah?” Steve could hear their feet patter across the wood flooring as Tony responded to Peter, “I’m pretty sure if I go in there, something will swallow me alive.”

Steve laughed as he listened to Tony and Peter race each other through the penthouse. After a moment, he exhaled heavily to himself, looking around the bedroom, irritated that he still needed help moving from the bed to the bathroom.

_I don’t need physical therapy…_Steve inwardly complained as he banged his head up against the headboard.

Steve craned his neck to look out through the open bedroom door to ensure that Tony was out of sight. He then flung the covers off his body, taking his time turning himself so that his legs could hang off the edge of the bed. Steve glanced at the door once more before steadying himself, wincing as he anticipated the inevitable onslaught of pain.

_Okay, I got this…_Steve breathed deeply a few times.

He braced himself with both hands before pushing himself away from the bed. At first, everything appeared fine as he stood up; Steve grinned, fully thinking that his strength was finally back. He took one step forward, falling forward as his legs gave out underneath him. He hit the floor face first, taking the bedside table down with him as his arms flung about trying to grab hold of something. The incident caused the noisiest crash as Steve laid stretched out on the floor, struggling to get up.

“Steve!” Tony ran back into the bedroom, looking around frantically until he found Steve on the floor next to the bed helpless.

“Tony…” Steve managed to turn onto his side, “can you…help me…please?” His muscles gave out again, causing him to lie face down on the floor.

Tony crouched down next to Steve, laughing as soon as he realized that Steve hadn’t seriously injured himself. He helped Steve to the bed who groused all the way up.

“Just say it.” Steve griped.

Tony, now trying to keep a straight face, shook his head as he stepped away from the bed to examine how much damage Steve had done to his face.

“Nope. Even though I would love to tell you I told you so, I’m sure bruising that pretty face of yours because you’re stubborn is more than a blow to your ego.” He grinned at Steve before turning around to retrieve a first-aid kit from the bathroom.

Steve groaned, wallowing in pain and embarrassment, as he laid back down in the bed, rolling from side to side.

“Rogers, why are you moving like that?” Tony had walked up to the bed with the kit.

Steve stopped moving, letting one arm hang off the side of the bed. “I’m…just trying to get comfortable…”

Tony chuckled as he helped Steve sit up in the bed so he could mend the scratch on Steve’s face from the fall. Steve held still for Tony, watching him closely as Tony took his time cleaning the scratch before applying a liquid band-aid.

“There,” Tony patted Steve on the leg, “it’s all better now.”

Tony turned to rise from the bed, but Steve managed to take a hold of his arm before he walked away.

“Tony…” Steve tried pulling Tony down to meet him face to face but stopped as a current of pain shot through his arm. Tony laughed again as he leaned downward to meet Steve.

“What’s up, Rogers?” Tony asked with a grin.

Steve smiled through the pain as he tilted his chin upward to kiss Tony. “Thank you for taking care of me…”

Tony smiled as he closed the gap to kiss Steve. He then straightened up to walk back to the bathroom. “Don’t get too used to it, Rogers.”

Steve laughed as he watched Tony walk into the bathroom. He tried sitting up again, but then fell back down on the bed, groaning loudly from the pain shooting up his body.

* * *

_That weekend…_

Steve switched on the light to the master bathroom. He was starting to feel better; the first therapy session had turned out not to be too terrible and he could already feel his strength returning.

He took his time walking slowly toward Tony’s giant jacuzzi bathtub which was situated in the middle of the space. Steve limped slightly to the counter space, removing his clothes to place on top as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He had quite a few scratches and burns from the explosion that were healing quickly, but it still took some getting used to seeing himself like this. Even in the army, Steve had never sustained so many injuries.

Steve then limped to the tub, turning the water on, running it for a while until it reached the desired temperature. He then steadied himself before emerging his entire body underneath the water, letting out a relaxed exhale as he sank to the bottom. Steve closed his eyes, letting the warm water soothe his muscles.

“Hey!” The unexpected sound of Tony’s voice nearly caused Steve to jump out of the tub, “you made it to the tub! Nice work, Rogers.”

Steve glared at Tony who was standing in the doorway before closing his eyes again. “Are you going to make an announcement whenever I do something?”

Tony chuckled as he walked further into the bathroom to lean up against a counter. “I’m supporting you, Rogers. Glad to know that those therapy sessions are paying off.”

Steve sighed as he sank further into the tub so that just his head hovered above the water. “I only went to one so far and I feel well enough already.”

Tony laughed with an exaggerated eye roll. “Why does _everything_ have to be a chore with you, Rogers?”

Steve bobbed his head in the water as he tried to focus on relaxing. “Tony, you’re more stubborn than me.”

Tony scoffed as he pushed himself away from the counter to walk up to the tub. Steve opened one eye to find Tony standing over him with his arms crossed.

“I suppose there’s some truth to that statement.” Tony grinned down at Steve.

Steve smiled up at Tony before closing both eyes again. “Are monitoring my baths now?”

“Only if you’re misbehaving, Captain Rogers.”

Steve laughed at the suggestive tone in Tony’s voice. He opened his eyes again to see that Tony was sitting on the edge of the tub.

“Okay then…” Steve started, staring back up at Tony, knowing full well what Tony was trying to get at, “if you’re so eager about it…why don’t you come in and find out?”

Tony’s eyes widened from the unexpected provocation, clearly surprised by Steve’s forwardness. Without further delay, Tony quickly removed his clothes before jumping in the tub, but before he stepped in, he turned around to ran back to the bathroom door.

“Peter’s better about this now…” Tony locked the door, “…but I should probably lock the door just in case he barges into the bathroom.”

Steve laughed again as he sat up in the tub, watching Tony run back over. As soon as Tony was within reach, Steve grabbed him by the waist, positioning him on top of his body. Tony held onto Steve as his body went under water, his top half out of the water against Steve’s. Tony wrapped both arms around Steve’s shoulders and both gasped as their bodies rubbed up against each other. Tony attacked Steve with a flurry of kisses as he humped Steve’s body. He gripped onto Steve harder than usual from how intense the feeling was but Steve barely noticed as he held onto Tony tighter, using both hands to squeeze Tony’s ass and guide it along his body.

“…fuck, baby…” Tony gasped. His movements sped up as the natural lubrication of the water between them intensified the sensation.

The water splashed around as they held onto each other, their bodies grinding against another; Steve was trying to hold onto Tony as he pushed down, at one point almost losing his grip, but then Tony repositioned himself for a better hold.

“…this tub…” Steve started, trying to speak, but lost himself in the moment, “…this tub…is huge, Tony.”

Tony laughed as he pushed down harder into Steve, moaning loudly. Steve could feel himself coming to the brink, arriving there faster than he had ever before. Something about the suddenness of feeling Tony against him underneath water was driving him wild.

“Tony, oh my god.” Steve let out as he tightened his hold on Tony. Tony held on, grinding downward, gasping and moaning.

“…I’m so hard for you, baby…” Tony reached downward with one hand to rub both himself and Steve together. Steve gasped as soon as Tony’s hand griped his hard cock while he rubbed his hands along Tony’s backside.

Several moments passed as the bathroom was filled with the sounds of splashing water and Steve and Tony moaning in unison. Steve smacked Tony’s ass, which stunned Tony but only for a moment. Tony grinned as he humped Steve who squeezed his body with both hands.

“…I’m so…close, Tony…” Steve let out, but his body was one step ahead of him, groaning as he came instantly.

He stopped moving as he held onto Tony who was still pushing downward into his body. Tony kissed Steve on the neck before letting out one more gasp, coming not too far behind Steve.

They hugged each other for a minute or so, both gasping for air, before Tony let go to sink down on the other side of the tub. Both Steve and Tony looked at each other: Tony’s hair was damp and messed up in a way that made Steve smile uncontrollably.

“What, Rogers?” Tony asked, unable to help himself from smiling.

Steve shook his head. “Nothing that…was just…”

Tony laughed as he leaned back in the tub. “Fucking amazing?”

Steve nodded, closing his eyes. “Yeah…fucking amazing…”

A splash of water coupled with riotous laughter hit Steve in the face as he opened his eyes to find Tony splashing water in his direction. Steve grinned as he splashed Tony back before trying to grab him to pull back to his side. Tony barely struggled as he let Steve drag him through the water, straddling Steve once more as he took a moment to caress his face before kissing him.

* * *

_Later that day…_

Steve hobbled down the hallway and into the kitchen. As he approached the opening, he found Peter and one of his friends playing a game on the floor. Steve smiled at them as he entered.

“Hey, Peter.” He greeted with a wave as Peter turned around at the sound of his name.

“Hi, Steve!” Peter quickly responded before turning back to his game.

Steve walked up to the boys, trying to crouch down on the floor, but his face contorted, feeling every sore muscle on the way down. As soon as he made himself somewhat comfortable, half kneeling, half standing, he stuck out his hand to introduce himself to Peter’s friend.

“Hi, I’m Steve.” He greeted.

Peter’s friend nodded shyly as he tried to shake Steve’s hand. “…hi, Steve…I’m Ned.”

“Nice to meet you, Ned.” Steve smiled, which prompted Ned to turn red.

Peter motioned toward Ned to complete his turn. “Steve’s Tony’s boyfriend.” He explained without missing a beat.

Steve blushed from the comment, turning just as red as Ned had been. It felt great knowing that Tony had talked with Peter about their relationship.

Steve took his time straightening up as he watched the boys play their game. “Ned, do you have any allergies?” Steve asked as he limped to the kitchen sink to fill a water glass, “I’m planning to start dinner soon, but I wanted to make sure we didn’t make anything you’re allergic to.”

“…uh…um…” Ned squeaked, perhaps too bashful around Steve to really answer.

Steve turned around with a kind smile which made Ned turn even more red. “I think Tony said your mom said something about nuts, right?”

Ned finally responded by nodding quickly.

“Steve’s a really good cook.” Peter added causally, his eyes focused on his game play more than anything else.

Steve laughed nervously. “I think I’m just okay, but thank you for the compliment, Peter…”

* * *

_Meanwhile on the seventieth floor…_

Tony carefully jumped over some debris from the glass façade to get into his lab.

_It’s going to take me forever to get this lab back into working order…_He whined to himself, looking around the damaged area.

He held out a tablet, tapping on it a few times. “J.A.R.V.I.S., scan this area. See if there’s anything I can salvage.”

“Right away, Sir.”

Tony walked through the lab as J.A.R.V.I.S. ran a list of items that hadn’t been irreparably damaged from the explosion. He walked around for a few minutes before he spotted something J.A.R.V.I.S. had missed, seeing something poking out from the debris.

Tony walked over to the object, crouching down. He placed his tablet down before reaching for the object, realizing, as he pulled it free, that it was his dad’s diary from the Hamptons.

_Are you fucking kidding me? _There were a few scratches on the cover, but besides that, the diary was in good shape.

Tony groaned as he sat down on a free, undamaged patch on the floor, staring at the diary. It was more than cosmic cruelty that Steve had ended up in the hospital while the diary essentially came out unscathed.

Tony shook his head as he threw the diary across the lab. He then picked up his tablet to resume scavenging for parts. After another moment, Tony passed the diary again which was laying open, face down. He sighed loudly as he walked up to the diary, closing it shut before he could see any of the open pages. He walked it over to his work bag, shoving it inside, not really sure what he planned to do with it.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., please itemize that list for me…” Tony called quietly.

As J.A.R.V.I.S. answered him, Tony looked around the lab once more before leaving.

* * *

_Back upstairs in the penthouse…_

Steve turned around from the sink to see Tony walking into the kitchen, sulking. Peter and Ned had retreated to the former’s bedroom to finish their game before dinner.

“…how bad is it?” Steve asked cautiously.

Tony shook his head as dropped his work bag on the floor with a loud thud before taking a seat at the island.

“Well, it literally looks like a bomb went off…” Tony placed his head in his hands.

Steve waited before limping to the island. He rested a hand on Tony’s shoulder before rubbing it gently.

“I’m sorry, Tony…”

Tony looked up at Steve. “Steve, it’s not your fault…I just don’t know how I’m going to get that lab back to where it was before…”

Steve nodded, keeping his hand on Tony’s shoulder before letting go.

“Well…we can’t do anything about it now…why don’t you help me with dinner?”

Steve watched Tony’s expression change slightly before he finally smiled somewhat. He nodded as he hopped of his stool before walking to the counter.

“Okay, what are we having?” Tony rubbed his hands together as his tone changed, “and please don’t tell me this is too involved liked last time, Rogers. You’re going to have to start paying me if you want me to be your Sous Chef.”

Steve chuckled as he reached over to pull Tony into a hug, feeling Tony hug him back, holding on tightly. They hugged each other for some time before Tony broke away, looking away from Steve before returning his gaze. Steve smiled at him, tilting his chin downward to a degree to kiss Tony. They kissed each other, the kiss moving deeply and slowly like it had countless times before.

Tony put his hands on Steve’s arms before pulling away. “I meant monetary payments, Rogers. But I don’t mind this either.”

Steve laughed as he let go of Tony. He rubbed Tony’s arms before limping to the other side of the kitchen.

“I just want to make something easy so I’m not standing for too long.”

Tony groaned. “Rogers, just relax and let me do the heavy lifting.”

Steve turned around to look at Tony who was now moving around the kitchen grabbing items without hearing what was for dinner. Steve rolled his eyes as he helplessly watched Tony whirl around the kitchen.

“Tony, you don’t even know what we’re making.”

Tony maneuvered around Steve, laughing as he set up a prep station on the island. “If I have everything out, then we can move quicker.”

Steve stared blankly at Tony before he shook his head. “Tony, that makes absolutely no sense.”

Tony laughed, ignoring Steve with a hand wave. “Rogers, you want help, or not?”

Steve sighed, resting his hands on his hips before taking his time hobbling over to the island to stop Tony from making a mess. Tony watched him, trying not to laugh but doing so anyway, causing Steve to roll his eyes again.

* * *

_Early the next week…_

One early evening, Tony, Steve, and Peter were hanging out in Tony’s home office. The lab on the seventieth floor was still a tangled mess, so Tony had been working in his home office during the day ever since Steve’s extended stay.

Tony was sitting at his desk while Peter and Steve played around with the controls on a small console in the corner of his office. He watched Peter show Steve the schematics to the new robot they were planning to build, and Steve listened intently with a level of patience Tony could only admire. Watching them interact felt both familial and strange to Tony; something about seeing Steve and Peter like this confirmed his feelings toward Steve, and he found himself doubting their relationship less.

“Hey, Peter,” Tony injected into Steve and Peter’s energetic conversation, “have you shown Steve that comic you’ve been working on?”

Steve smiled down at Peter whose eyes shone with glee. “You’re working on a comic? Can I see it?”

Peter nodded quickly; “okay!” he answered as he sprinted out of the room.

Steve laughed as he looked back at Tony who had risen from his chair to join Steve at the console.

“He’s been working on this thing for a while now.” Tony explained.

Steve nodded before pointing to a file on the projected desktop above the console. “What’s this, Tony?”

Tony squinted at whatever Steve was referring to, recognizing the file immediately. “Ah, you found my birthday database.” He winked at Steve.

Steve stared at Tony vacantly before looking back at the file. “Your what?”

“My birthday database,” Tony repeated with a coy laugh, “every birthday I upload a backup of my memories to this database in case the worst happens.”

Steve expressed terror at Tony’s suggestion. “What does that even mean?”

Tony laughed louder as he patted Steve on the back a little too hard. “Like if I go into a coma or,” he drew a finger across his throat, contorting his face as if someone had strangled him to death.

Steve, unamused, expressed his dissatisfaction with the insinuation. “Why would you even think about that, Tony? Does Peter know about this?”

Tony laughed even louder than the last time, now doubling over from Steve’s reaction. “Of course, he does, Rogers. I didn’t get too graphic, so don’t worry. He thinks it’s a game.”

Steve shook his head, but he let it go; he wasn’t going to question Tony on how he chose to parent his child.

“I got the idea from my dad…” Tony added, “he made a comment once about wanting to be able to download memories…”

Steve nodded, not sure if he should ask Tony to elaborate since he had mentioned his father.

“…but,” Tony clapped his hands together “this thing _actually _works.” He smiled widely, referring to the prototype Howard had made of the Synergy device.

“On another tangentially related note…” Tony walked back to his desk, “and this is probably messed up to say, but I’m looking forward to using your recovery as an excuse not to go to this investor event.” Tony sat down in his desk before swiveling back and forth in his chair, “I usually use Peter to get out of these things, but I think folks are starting to catch on.”

Steve walked up to the desk. “Tony, I’m fine enough to go to the event.”

Tony stopped swiveling. “Steve, are you serious? Remember when you fell out of the bed? Face first?”

Steve rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. “I’m fine now, Tony. I was just getting used to being out of the bed on my own…you know that…”

Tony scoffed as he leaned back in his chair. “Well, I guess you’re going to have to find another date because I am _not_ going.”

“Tony, you can’t not go. We need our team leader.”

Tony stared impassively at Steve before frowning. “Surely, you’re joking, Rogers. Don’t you remember almost dying in a lab explosion caused by the Synergy device not too long ago? I really don’t want to have anything to do with it at the moment.”

Steve paused before answering. “Tony, I’m not trying to get into an argument about it—”

“Then don’t, Rogers.” Tony retorted with a shrug.

Steve looked surprised by Tony’s tone as Tony stood up from the desk with a heavy-laden sigh. “I’m sorry, Steve…I’m not trying to get into a fight about it either…but I’m done with Synergy. I don’t really care if the government picks it up or if Obie sells it for parts.”

Steve shook his head. “What about Dr. Thanos, Tony? What about that weapon he’s building?”

Tony rounded the desk to sit on the edge in front of Steve. “Fury and his agents have more than enough information to deal with that crackpot, okay? Besides, I have Peter to worry about and you just had major surgery, Steve. The more we keep using this thing, the more dangerous it becomes.”

Steve nodded as he reached out to rub Tony on the shoulders. “I understand where you’re coming from, Tony. But the team needs you until the final decision. Just think of the team. Not Synergy. Not even Obadiah.”

Tony leaned into Steve’s embrace, but he looked away from him so he could stop himself from rolling his eyes, trying to find another excuse not to attend the event. Yet, Tony knew he couldn’t let his team down, even in the worst moments. The team had put so much work into the project that it would be more of a blow to morale if Tony opted out of the event than selling Synergy to a weapons contractor.

After further reflection, Tony slowly turned his head to look at Steve who had remained in the same position while he was thinking.

“…fine…” Tony let out, “I guess you’re right…”

“Steve! Steve!” Peter had appeared suddenly in the room, waving around a few dozen sheets of paper that comprised his comic. He ran up to Steve, tugging on his sweatpants.

Steve looked at Tony who still looked annoyed with their conversation before accepting the comic from Peter.

“Oh wow,” Steve flipped through the pages as he turned to sit down on the tufted loveseat next to the desk, “these are really good, Peter.”

Peter nodded with a huge smile as he sat down next to Steve, rattling on about the comic being an alternate universe of their own with their family and friends dressed up like superheroes and fighting cosmic bad guys.

“Peter,” Tony joined them, “you should ask Steve to be in your comic.”

Peter blushed, his body shrinking into the couch cushion between Steve and Tony. “Tony…”

Tony chuckled. “Peter’s been talking about asking you to be in this thing for a while now.” The comment made Peter’s face turn beet red.

Steve laughed. “I would be honored to be in your comic, Peter.”

“Thanks, Steve!” Peter bounced around, trying to give Steve a hug, but he was too excited.

Steve pulled Peter into a proper hug. “Of course, Peter.”

Tony watched Steve and Peter, feeling the urge to hug them both. Instead, he jumped up from the sofa, clapping his hands together to get their attention.

“Okay, enough of that. We need to figure out what we’re going to do for dinner before it gets too late.”

Peter let go of Steve. “Could we have pizza?”

“I don’t know, what say you, Chef Steve?” Tony snapped his fingers at Steve.

Steve struggled to join Tony standing. “So, I’m going to have to be the one who says no because we had pizza the other night?” He rested his hands on his hips as he looked back and forth between Tony and Peter who were both acting like they didn’t know what Steve was talking about.

Steve sighed but then he smiled. “Tony? Really?”

Tony shrugged. “I’m always fine with pizza.” The comment caused Peter to nod emphatically in agreement.

Steve sighed again. “What if we made our own pizza but with healthier ingredients?”

Peter clapped his hands together, excited about making pizza from scratch. Tony nodded yet he seemed skeptical of the idea.

“Making pizza? By hand? Sounds like work.”

Steve shook his head as he limped past Tony, motioning for Peter to follow him to the kitchen. “It only is if you don’t know what you’re doing.” He winked at Tony before giving Peter some instructions on how to prep their pizza.

Tony watched them leave, smiling to himself before jogging after them. “Also, what the heck is a ‘healthy’ pizza?”

* * *

Later that evening after eating their home-made pizza and cleaning up the kitchen, Steve and Tony tucked Peter in his bed. They then spent some time out on the balcony before going to Tony’s bedroom.

_…kind of feels like our bedroom at this point…_Tony thought to himself as he followed Steve inside. Surprisingly, something about the thought didn’t freak Tony out this time; having Steve over the last week or so had been easy and wonderful. It felt like the three of them were really a family.

Steve limped to the side of the bed he usually slept on, removing his shirt and his pajama pants before carefully sliding into the bed. Tony watched Steve undress before doing the same. As he met Steve’s body, Steve reached out to draw him in.

“How do you feel?” Tony asked quietly as Steve spooned him from behind.

Steve kissed Tony on the neck. “Better.”

Tony nodded as he turned around, sliding a hand around Steve’s body as he pushed up against him to kiss him on the lips. Steve hugged Tony as he kissed him back, feeling along his back before moving his hands downward.

“Sir,” J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted suddenly, “Mr. Parker’s stress levels are higher than normal.”

“Shit.” Tony wasted little time as he propelled himself away from Steve and out of the bed, trying to put his pajama pants back on before jogging out of the bedroom.

Steve followed in suit, fumbling as he dressed. He followed Tony down the hallway at a ways away until Tony knocked on Peter’s bedroom door.

“Peter? Are you okay?” Steve could tell that Tony was trying to remain as calm as possible.

As he met Tony at the door, Steve watched Tony press an ear against the wood, listening. Steve inched closer, hearing muffled crying through the door. Both Steve and Tony glanced at each other; Tony shook his head with a sigh as he slowly opened the door, finding Peter sitting up in his bed crying.

“Hey...” Tony slowly approached the bed before sitting down on the edge.

Peter reached out for Tony, crying even louder as Tony hugged him. Steve watched them from the doorway, not really sure what to do.

“…did you have a nightmare, Peter?” Tony asked softly.

Peter nodded, burying his head against Tony’s chest. Tony sighed quietly as he looked at Steve.

“…was it about…your parents…?”

Peter cried without responding right away. He then nodded again as he tightened his grasp on Tony.

“Tony…” Peter started through tears, “…can you stay with me…please?”

Tony glanced over at Steve again. He mouthed the words “I’m sorry” at Steve who shook his head, mouthing back “it’s okay”.

Peter looked up, wiping his eyes. “Can…Steve stay, too?”

Both Steve and Tony looked at each other before looking back at Peter. Peter’s bed was hardly big enough for him and Tony, but Steve would definitely hang off the edge if not fall off if he joined them.

“Peter, I don’t think—”

“Tony, it’s okay.” Steve stepped into the room. He sat down on the other side of Peter’s bed before the nine-year old reached out for him. Steve, caught off guard, paused before hugging Peter back.

Tony smiled wearily at them before shuffling around. “Peter, what if you sleep on top of me that way Steve can squeeze in? It’ll be tight, but we can make it work.”

Peter, still holding onto Steve, turned his head to nod at Tony. Tony laid down, motioning for Peter. Steve waited before they were situated to lie next to them. It was a tight fit, but all three of them hugged up against each other.

Peter sniffled until he finally fell asleep, but both Tony and Steve were wide awake.

“I’m sorry that you won’t get a good night’s sleep, Rogers.” Tony joked, trying to turn his head so he could look at Steve.

Steve shook his head. “No, it’s okay, Tony.”

Tony nodded before carefully shuffling Peter around so he could scoot closer to Steve. He moved his chin forward to kiss Steve. Steve smiled as he kissed Tony back before settling.

* * *

_The following morning…_

Youthful laughter finally woke Steve up. He opened his eyes, groaning; he had just fallen asleep about an hour ago. He sat up in the bed, finding Tony and Peter no longer in it. He yawned, hearing the laughter again, before taking his time getting out of the bed.

He winced as he rose from the bed, trying to stretch out his aches and pains before limping out of Peter’s room. He followed the sound of laughter to the kitchen to find Peter and Tony eating breakfast at the island.

“Hey, Rogers!” Tony greeted.

“Hi, Steve!” Peter added.

Steve smiled with relief as he joined them, kissing Tony before rubbing Peter on the shoulders. To Steve, Peter looked fine from having been so upset the night before.

“May should be here soon.” Tony explained as he rose from his stool to fix Steve a plate.

“Will you be here later, Steve?” Peter looked at Steve, as he shoveled a ton of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

Steve nodded. “I think so?” He looked at Tony who had turned around with the plate.

“I mean,” Tony handed the plate to Steve, “you can stay as long as you want, Rogers.”

There was something more to the comment that Steve had trouble deciphering, but he let it go. After some minutes passed, J.A.R.V.I.S. informed them that May was in the lobby and on her way up to the penthouse.

Both Peter and Tony hustled out of the kitchen to greet May at the elevator. Peter shouted with glee as soon as he saw his aunt emerge from the elevator.

“Peter,” Tony patted Peter on the head after he let go of May, “why don’t you get your things together?” Peter nodded quickly as he dashed to his bedroom.

Tony leaned toward May as soon as Peter was out of earshot. “We had a situation last night…”

May nodded, conveying that she knew what Tony was referring to. “Really? That hasn’t happened in a while…”

Tony nodded. “He calmed down after a bit…” He looked at Steve who nodded timidly.

“Hopefully he didn’t keep you up all night…”

Tony laughed as he stretched. “I can sleep it off later.” He smiled at Steve who reciprocated the expression although he was also exhausted from the night before.

The three of them chatted for a bit before Tony left to check on Peter’s packing process. He knocked on the doorframe before entering the room.

“Almost ready to go?” Tony sat down on the edge of Peter’s bed.

Peter was in the process of packing some books and games. “Yep!”

Tony watched him as he finished, thinking about last night. “Hey…so I wanted to get your honest opinion, since you’re so wise.”

Peter giggled as he sat down next to Tony on the bed.

“But…what do you _really_ think of me asking Steve if he would like to move in with us…?”

“He can stay with me!” Peter answered enthusiastically.

Tony laughed. “I think Steve would really appreciate the offer, but he would probably stay with me in my room, like he usually does when he spends the night.”

Peter nodded. “Okay, that’s fair.”

Tony laughed again as he messed up Peter’s hair. “Okay, finish packing so May isn’t waiting too long.”

Peter nodded as he jumped up from the bed, grabbing his things. Tony waited, smiling to himself before he followed him out of the room.


	39. Chapter 39

_The day after next…_

It was the afternoon before the investor event that evening, and Tony was on his way to meet Obadiah and Pepper in one of the smaller conference rooms in Stark Tower. He took the private express elevator from the penthouse to the designated floor, dreading the meeting but thankful that Pepper would be there to facilitate a buffer between himself and Obadiah.

As Tony entered the conference room, he found Obadiah alone, eating his lunch at the table.

"Anthony! Come in." Obadiah energetically motioned with his arms for Tony to join him at the table.

Tony eyed Obadiah before checking his wristwatch. "Where's Pepper?"

Obadiah shook his head as he wiped his mouth off with a napkin. "She sent me an email that she'll be here in a few minutes or so. Stuck in a meeting, I suppose."

Tony glared at Obadiah, trying to expose that he was surprised that Pepper hadn't also reached out to him about being late. However, instead of dwelling on it, Tony took a seat far away from Obadiah at the conference table. He cringed, watching Obadiah chew on his sandwich, before freeing his phone from the back pocket of his pants to answer some emails as they waited.

"Actually, Anthony…" Obadiah placed his sandwich down on his plate before wiping his hands off with a napkin, "I'm glad I have you here alone—”

"I really don't know what you have to say to me without Pepper being here, Obie." Tony shot back before returning to his phone.

Obadiah laughed as he turned in his chair to face Tony directly. "I only want to talk with you about your plus one for the event this evening."

Tony rolled his eyes as he slid his phone into the breast pocket of his jacket. "And what about it? I'm taking Steve."

Obadiah scoffed as he leaned to the side in his chair. "I don't think that's a good idea, Anthony."

Tony's face betrayed how annoyed he already was with the conversation, but figured Pepper was not too far away, so he decided to play along to prevent a frustrating start to their meeting. Besides, since Synergy was in such a precarious position, Tony still couldn't afford getting into an argument with Obadiah, especially after the explosion in his lab.

"Steve said he was well enough to go to the thing tonight."

Obadiah shook his head, "I'm not talking about whether or not Mr. Rogers is well enough to attend the event this evening."

Tony rolled his eyes again. "Okay, then _why_ not, Obie? Steve's a military vet, a law school grad, he's tall and handsome…," Tony made a show of counting out each of Steve's character traits with his fingers, "and you seemed to be over eager with having him be the 'face' of Synergy, if memory serves me correctly."

Obadiah scoffed again but remained silent.

Tony readjusted his sitting position in his chair, expressing that he was irritated with having such a petty conversation with Obadiah of all people so early in the afternoon.

"Please don't tell me this is some homophobic bullshit or something about our age differences, which, I may emphasize, you can't really tell when you look at the two of us separately."

Obadiah crossed his arms as Tony watched him take his precious time. Tony hated it whenever Obadiah did this just to make some ridiculous point.

"You have nothing to add? That's a first, Obie."

Obadiah looked away from Tony at the door leading into the conference room before returning his gaze.

"How long did your relationship with Virginia last?"

Tony scrunched up his face; he had no idea why his relationship with Pepper had anything to do with Steve attending the event with him. He was now becoming more uncomfortable; something about the question felt like it was leading toward a conversation he wasn't calm enough to have.

"A few years…" Tony glared back at Obadiah, telling himself to remain calm, "but I don't know what that has to do with Steve going to the thing tonight."

Obadiah stared back at Tony as he clasped his hands together, still leaning to the side in his chair.

"And how many stable, healthy relationships did you have prior to that?"

The question sent a sharp pain through Tony's chest. He sat rigid in his chair, clenching the armrests with both hands before straightening up. He attempted to compose himself but Obadiah's unwavering smug expression and willingness to aggravate him at every opportunity was over running his composure.

Tony rose out of his chair, placing his hands on the table. "Obie, what the_ fuck _does that have to do with Steve?"

Obadiah barely budged. "Please, Anthony, calm yourself. Everyone else may think you and your little boyfriend are cute, but I know you and what you're capable of. Or _not_ capable of, to be more precise."

The provocation nearly knocked the wind out of Tony; despite how contentious their relationship had become since launching Synergy, Tony couldn't believe how blatant Obadiah was acting. He felt like a kid again getting harangued for fucking up over and over.

"S-Steve's…" Tony couldn't finish his counter statement. Of course, Steve was his boyfriend but the mocking tone in Obadiah's voice made him feel awful for even thinking that he and Steve had a chance.

"Boytoy then, it doesn't matter," Obadiah interjected, "the thing that does matter is the solvency of this company and Stark Industries can't survive if its namesake is out gallivanting with whomever so happens to be sleeping in your bed at the moment."

Obadiah causally waved his hand about before pointing sternly at Tony; it felt like Obadiah’s finger had penetrated right through Tony’s heart, although he was still on the other side of the conference table. Tony remained paralyzed; even if he wanted to say something, he couldn’t.

"Relationships are not your strong suit, Anthony. I'm surprised the boy lasted this long."

Obadiah gathered up his lunch plate before rising from the table to throw the trash away. He then walked over to Tony who was now sitting, before sitting on the edge of the table.

"Do yourself and Mr. Rogers a favor. Your inevitable break up will only hurt the company once you go into one of your famed bouts with depression. We need to have you clearheaded and focused." He reached over to pat Tony on the shoulder and Tony flinched from the contact.

"…besides…think about the emotional trauma you'll potentially be putting Peter through by constantly trotting temporary romantic partners through his life without a care in the world. Do you really want him to think that's normal?"

Tony's body ached from the accusation, trying to stop himself from physically attacking Obadiah.

"…I'm only looking out for your wellbeing, my boy." Obadiah practically whispered.

Tony turned his head slowly to glare at Obadiah. "Fuck you, Obie."

Obadiah paused before grinning at Tony. The two men stared at each other before Pepper finally appeared in the conference room.

"Am I late? I thought this meeting didn't start until 12:30?" Pepper asked as she sat down at the table next to Tony, not only confused by the time of the meeting but also by Tony and Obadiah glaring at each other.

Tony, feeling himself losing control over his anger again, shook his head as he tried to steady himself and not confront Obadiah for purposely curating a confrontation while using Pepper.

Pepper looked back and forth between Tony and Obadiah, still extremely confused. Obadiah lingered before clapping his hands together, making the situation even more awkward than it had already been.

"No worries, Virginia. It appears that my assistant mixed up the times." He walked back to his chair as Tony tried to settle in his.

Pepper looked at Tony, making it obvious that she could tell he wasn't okay, but Tony shook his head as he tried to focus on the meeting's agenda so he could get out of the room as quickly as possible. Obadiah ignored them as he immediately began discussing some important items.

Tony could barely listen to Obadiah ramble on about essentially nothing. He contributed from time to time when prompted, telling himself that remaining calm would be the only way to deal with Obadiah until they figured out what to do with Synergy.

As soon as the meeting arrived at a logical end point, Tony quickly gathered up his things before marching out of the conference room. Pepper followed him, managing to catch up with him at the private express elevator.

"Tony, what's going on?" She asked, stopping Tony with a hand on his shoulder.

Tony sighed after he accessed the elevator to the penthouse. "Obie's a fucking douche, that's what's going on."

Pepper frowned. "What happened?"

Tony glanced at Pepper, thinking back to what Obadiah had inferred about their failed relationship. He couldn't bring himself to discuss it with her, especially since it had taken him forever to be comfortable around Pepper again before he started dating Steve. Tony eventually shook his head as the elevator door opened.

"It's nothing I can't handle. I'll see you at the event tonight, okay?"

Pepper stared at Tony as he walked into the elevator, making it evident that she didn't believe him, but she let it go with a nod.

"Okay, I'll see you tonight…"

Tony grimaced as he tried to smile, watching helplessly as the elevator doors closed on Pepper.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Tony carefully helped Steve out of the car. Earlier that day, Sam and Bucky had visited Steve at Tony’s, using it as an opportunity to check in on their friend while also bringing him his nicest suit for the evening.

"Steve, take it easy."

"Tony, I'm okay." Steve frowned but let Tony hold onto him anyway until he was standing upright.

Tony had been grappling over his heated exchange with Obadiah for hours. He couldn’t bring himself to talk to Steve about it, especially since that night was supposed to be about the team. But Tony could tell that Steve had sensed there was something bothering him, yet he attempted to divert attention from himself at every opportunity, trying to convince himself that Obadiah was wrong about him and Steve.

Tony waved at Happy before he drove away. "Ready to go in?" He had turned to face Steve.

Steve nodded, this time smiling, before walking ahead of Tony, but Tony stepped forward, looping an arm around Steve's waist to guide him inside.

The board had decided to hold the investor event at a loft in the financial district instead of Stark Tower even though the extent of the damage from the explosion had been contained to the seventieth floor.

"Tony, you don't have to walk so slowly." Steve whined as they finally approached the entrance to the building.

Tony grinned at Steve, but his internal turmoil turned his expression into a half grimace. “And risk you falling on your face in front of everyone—wait actually that might be really entertaining.”

Steve rolled his eyes but then he smiled as Tony opened the door for them into the building. They greeted the security guards before going through the security check point to access the elevators leading to the event area.

As soon as the elevator doors opened into the space, both Tony and Steve were met with the entire Synergy team, accompanied by Rhodey, Pepper, some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and a few board members, clapping and cheering for Steve.

Tony smiled as he glanced at Steve who was blushing from the attention, waving his hand around awkwardly.

“Hi, everyone.” Steve responded meekly as the applause eventually dissipated.

Fury walked up to Steve to pat him gently on the arm before shaking his hand. “It’s good to see you up and about, Rogers.”

Steve shook Fury’s hand firmly. “It’s good to be up and about.”

Thor pushed through the crowd to give Steve a bear hug. “Ah! We must drink to your recovery!”

Steve patted Thor on the back, wincing somewhat from the force of the hug. “Hey, Thor.” He peeped through the hug.

“Yeah, Rogers.” Clint was just behind Thor, “it was too much pressure being the best looking one in the group while you were out.”

Natasha sighed as she nudged Clint in the side before giving Steve a more sensible hug. “It’s good to see you, Rogers.” She pulled away to smile at Steve who was still blushing.

Bruce walked up to Steve and shook his hand before stepping to the side to let Shuri hug him, even though she had seen Steve once or twice when Bucky and Sam came to visit him.

Tony stood off to the side to let everyone greet Steve. He scanned the loft, realizing that the board had invited every single one of Stark Industries’ investors and some potential investors. As his eyes wandered, he spotted Obadiah making his way over to the group, grinning eagerly.

Tony’s stomach lurched…_do yourself and Mr. Rogers a favor…_

“Mr. Rogers!” Obadiah shouted as he wedged himself between Natasha and Bruce, “so glad to see that you are well.”

He slapped Steve hard on the back, disregarding that Steve had been in a major accident. However, Steve barely flinched. Tony instinctively moved toward Steve to pull him away from Obadiah.

“There are a few people I would like to introduce you to, Mr. Rogers.” Obadiah wrenched Steve away from Tony, nearly dragging him toward a group of people on the other side of the loft, “you’ll recognize some of our board members and some of Stark Industries longest standing investors, but we thought it would be good to have you talk with a few potential ones…”

Tony glared after them_…your inevitable break up will only hurt the company once you go into one of your famed bouts with depression…_

Steve listened intently to Obadiah as he was being led away. Even if Steve had known what Obadiah had said about their relationship, Tony knew Steve would still behave professionally considering that the fate of the project was on the line.

Tony counted in his head, taking a deep breath; he was trying to forget about his conversation with Obadiah and instead focus on the positive aspects of his relationship with Steve; how well Steve got along with Peter; and how close they were becoming despite Tony’s worries in the beginning.

So, in an effort to free himself from the negativity, Tony turned on his usual charm that he saved for press events and mingled. However, with each conversation, in due course, Tony’s mind wandered back to his relationship doubts.

“Hey, Tone.” Rhodey patted Tony on the back as he handed him a new drink. Tony grimaced as he tried smiling again to acknowledge his friend, but it was beginning to hurt trying to convince himself that he could make things work with Steve.

Rhodey motioned with his glass toward a group of investors swarming Steve and Obadiah. “So, I can’t get into specifics…” He leaned inward so that no one could hear their conversation.

“…but I think it looks good on our end for Synergy…” he motioned toward Tony with his drink, “…we just can’t have any more accidents. But I don’t think I need to tell you that.”

Tony nodded, somewhat relieved that the government was planning to pick up Synergy despite Obadiah’s efforts.

“Are you sure about that?” Tony ultimately questioned.

Rhodey nodded. “Well the lab explosion didn’t help when it came to final decision time, but as long as it stays in house and you and your team make Synergy safer from it, it’s a done deal.”

Tony nodded again, this time with a shining smile, as he reached around to pat Rhodey on the back.

Rhodey chatted some more about Synergy, but Tony’s attention was divided as he couldn’t help himself from observing from afar Steve who had been occupied with entertaining investors since they arrived at the loft. He watched Steve listen patiently to one of the investors, smiling the way he usually did that was both genuine and reassuring.

_…Relationships are not your strong suit…_Tony groaned out loud as he heard Obadiah's voice in his head once more.

“Tone? You all right?”

Tony shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Rhodey eyed Tony suspiciously before going back to what he was talking about before. Tony listened to Rhodey for a bit before excusing himself to go outside on the balcony.

* * *

“…I have a story…it’s about Stark Industries’ Synergy device…I have reason to believe that the device isn’t stable…the company’s problems don’t stop with that precinct explosion from a while back…the company is trying to keep how dangerous the tech is from the public…there was explosion in one of labs not too long ago and the company is trying to cover it up…yes…it severely injured one of their team members…”

* * *

Tony leaned on his forearms against the railing of the balcony, staring down at the cityscape.

“Tony?”

Tony sighed, taking his time turning to face Steve.

“Are you all right?” Steve hesitated before walking up to him.

Tony nodded as he watched Steve approach him. “I’m fine…just needed to get out of there…”

Steve nodded back as he finally reached Tony, reaching out to pull him into a secure hug. Tony exhaled deeply as he settled against Steve.

“…you’re some date, Rogers…” Tony smiled to himself, “I didn’t get to see you at all this evening, let alone dance.”

Steve chuckled as he leaned away from Tony to look down at him slightly. “Sorry. Thought I would be able to settle more in the background tonight and you would be doing all the talking.”

Tony laughed as he let go of Steve. “Well, I guess I was right…it’s difficult to resist this face.” He reached up to caress Steve’s face.

Steve took a moment before leaning inward to embrace Tony again, kissing him once more. They could hear the music playing inside the loft transition softly, leading Tony to start swaying with Steve. Steve pulled Tony closer to his body as they danced to the music together. After some time, as the song slowly wound down, Steve kissed Tony, taking his time, feeling him gently.

“You wanna get out of here?” Steve quietly asked after pulling away again to look downward at Tony again.

Tony nodded before kissing Steve again. He could feel his anxiety over their relationship melting, but his old doubts continued to fight against his reassurances.

“Uh,” Tony told himself he just needed to focus on Steve, “…I’m glad my original plan of blaming your recovery to avoid this event is finally paying off so we can leave early.”

Steve laughed before kissing Tony again, taking his hand as he walked toward the entrance of the balcony. They walked back into the loft, saying goodbye to everyone before waiting for Happy to drive them back to the Tower.

* * *

_Back at the penthouse…_

Steve laughed as Tony gently pushed him onto the bed, grabbing Tony to scoot up the bed to meet the headboard. Their clothes were scattered about the floor around the bed.

“Sorry.” Tony offered as he kissed Steve.

Steve laughed again as he kissed Tony back. “I don’t know why everyone thinks I’ll fall apart at any moment. I’m fine.”

Tony, now straddling Steve’s waist, sat up. “Yeah, _okay_.” He grinned back down at Steve, rocking his hips forward.

Steve smiled up at Tony as he rested his hands on his hips before moving one upward to bring Tony down closer to his face.

Steve paused for a second as he looked at Tony intently. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

Tony sighed as he kissed Steve before plopping down onto the bed to lie next to him. “Yes, Rogers. I would tell you if I weren’t.” Although Tony wasn’t entirely sure if he would but said it anyway so that they could have a stress-free night and not discuss all of Tony’s relationship trauma.

Steve turned over onto his side as he wrapped a hand around Tony’s waist. “Tony…remember when you told me I could be vulnerable with you?”

Tony stared up at the ceiling, instantly remembering that Steve was referring to the first time they went out to dinner together.

Steve scooted closer toward him, pulling him close to his body. “…you can be the same with me…I’m not going anywhere…”

Tony sighed as he closed his eyes, trying to tell himself to stay focused on Steve and not any of his worries. Steve waited for him, slowly caressing his side. Tony sighed again as he turned his head to look at Steve.

“Thanks…that means a lot, Steve…”

Steve nodded before moving his body to lie on top of Tony. Tony wrapped his arms around Steve, rubbing them along his backside as they kissed each other. Steve pushed downward into Tony’s body which drew a sharp moan from Tony. He could feel his body reacting which helped him refocus on some much-needed sexual relief instead of dodging Steve’s concerns.

Steve kissed Tony on the lips before moving his head to kiss him on his neck. He rubbed his hands along Tony’s chest, taking his time feeling him everywhere before pulling back to look down at him.

Steve let out a small contained laugh, looking away before facing Tony again. Tony cocked his head to the side as he watched Steve’s expression change.

“…I…uh…” Steve laughed again, rubbing a hand through his hair before he settled again, “…I...love you, Tony.”

As each word left Steve’s lips, Tony’s body froze, so much so that he thought he had imagined it. Steve smiled at him, patiently waiting for him to respond, but Tony couldn’t. He thought by this point he would be able to say “I love you” out loud and here was Steve confirming their feelings for each other, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“…uh…” Tony just stared at Steve.

As he took his time reacting, Steve’s expression began to change slightly, now expressing concern that Tony hadn’t reciprocated.

“…uh…” Tony started up again, looking away from Steve toward the bathroom, “…uh—sorry.” Tony squiggled underneath Steve who looked confused by Tony’s reaction. Tony finally feed himself before jumping off the bed and racing to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

_…fuck…_Tony slid down to the bathroom floor against the door, holding his head in his hands as soon as he made contact with the floor tiles. He had trouble trying to figure out why it was so difficult for him to say to Steve that he loved him too. He even had been thinking about asking Steve that night if he would like to move in, but now he struggled to think clearly. Tony rubbed both hands through his hair thinking back to what Obadiah said about their relationship.

“Tony?” Tony heard a knock on the door, “…are you okay?”

Tony sighed as he looked up at the sink counter. He closed his eyes, trying to remind himself about all the good times he’s had with Steve. Yet, as the sinking feeling returned, all he could think about was their relationship falling apart like his past ones.

“…I’m okay…” Tony let out quietly, “…I’ll be out in…a minute…” He waited, listening for Steve before sighing again.

Tony looked up at the sink before rising slowly. He walked up to the counter, looking at himself in the mirror before running some water to splash onto his face.

_…I love you, too…_Tony thought, but he couldn’t even say out loud or even silently mouth. He shook his head, feeling his chest restrict with pain so much to the point that Tony thought he was about to have a heart attack. Tony clenched his chest before slumping to the floor again, trying to convince himself that he could be vulnerable with Steve.

After some moments of silent hyperventilating, Tony took his time rising to his feet. He slowly walked back to the bathroom door, slowly opening it to see Steve sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning forward on his thighs with his hands clasped together.

“Tony, are you sure you’re okay?” Steve asked quietly.

Tony nodded, staying near the door before taking his time to walk back to the bed. Steve watched him the entire time over. Tony stopped short as Steve looked up at him, reaching out for him as he finally met the bed.

Tony felt his chest constrict again as Steve caressed his arm. “Uh, I’m just exhausted…I had an extremely frustrating day that I don’t want to get into…” He half-admitted.

Steve nodded as he watched Tony climb into the bed, taking a moment before sliding back to his side. Tony turned onto his side away from Steve, trying to settle. He felt Steve wrap a hand around his waist to draw him close against his body. Tony counted to himself to calm down, fearing that Steve would say something. Instead, Steve remained silent as he held Tony against his body.

* * *

_The next morning…_

Steve let out a ragged sigh as he finished up making breakfast for himself and hopefully Tony.

_I shouldn't have said anything…_Steve blamed himself.

Steve couldn’t sleep all night; all he could think about was that he had possibly ruined his relationship with Tony by moving too fast.

_Was it too early? I thought we were at that point…_

Steve had trouble comprehending Tony’s reaction last night; while he was recovering at Tony’s, Steve believed that he, Tony, and Peter were becoming close, almost like a family. Steve didn’t understand why Tony didn’t seem to feel the same way.

_I’m so bad at this…_Steve hung his head low, as the food in the skillet on top of the stove sizzled.

“Hey…” Steve turned around to see Tony walking into the kitchen, but he stayed near the entrance.

Steve smiled at him, but then turned around to face the stove. He heard Tony shuffle around the kitchen before settling at the island.

“You don’t have to make breakfast, Steve.”

Still facing away from Tony, Steve nodded as he plated two plates for himself and Tony. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

He turned around with the plates to join Tony at the island who looked to be drained from last night. As he sat down, Steve wasn’t sure if he should bring up what happened last night.

“Thanks…” Tony responded with a timid smile as he accepted his plate from Steve.

Steve nodded again as he settled on the opposite of the island. “…so, I think…” he started, looking down at his plate before looking up at Tony, “…I think I'm going to go back home…I think I might have overstayed my welcome…"

Steve watched Tony perk up at the comment, his expression working from emotion to emotion before settling on uncertainty.

"Steve, you know you can stay here as long as you want."

Steve shook his head, but he smiled. "It's okay, Tony."

Tony shook his head back, reaching out to take a hold of Steve's hand. "Steve, it's okay, really…uh—"

"Tony, I'm not saying I won't spend night," Steve laughed nervously, "just that we probably need some space…I think I've been here for too long and we probably just need a break…"

Tony nodded back slowly as he withdrew his hand. Steve had trouble trying to figure out why Tony was still acting strange from last night.

“I…uh…can drive you back home tonight…if you want…” Tony offered quietly.

Steve stared at Tony, not really understanding his current demeanor before he shook his head. “Is it okay if I stay for dinner at least? I wanted to see Peter before going back.” He teased awkwardly.

Tony nodded quickly. “Yes, of course! You can also spend the night…if you want…of course…”

Steve considered it; he wasn’t sure if that was a good idea taking into account last night. “I think I’ll just stay for dinner…maybe we can do something together this weekend?”

Tony looked dejected by Steve’s answer. Steve paused again, trying to figure out how to navigate the situation without upsetting Tony.

After a while Tony finally nodded back. “Yeah, sure that sounds great.”

Steve smiled, which eventually got Tony to smile back at him, albeit something about it felt off to Steve. They finished their breakfast in near, if not complete silence before Steve needed to get ready for his physical therapy session.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being a little late today...

“Good evening. This is Metropolis News.”

“Chaos? Explosions? Intra-company turmoil? No this isn’t a segment on the newest action film, but it turns out Stark Industries’ Project Synergy has hit an _all-time_ low.”

“Yes, it’s been discovered that the company has been struggling with safety precautions since the Synergy program's inception. A source close to the program has told reporters here at Metropolis that there was a recent explosion in one of the company’s labs and a member of the team was seriously injured.”

“Indeed, and while the device has done some good in the past, most significantly stopping a virus from spreading widely, it’s difficult seeing this project moving forward after this…”

* * *

“This explosion is all over the news!”

Obadiah tossed that day’s newspaper onto the conference table as he shouted, pacing back and forth in front of the room, packed with the Synergy team, Rhodey, and Pepper. The force of the toss slid the newspaper to the center of the table.

Clint, who was sitting at the conference table next to Natasha, leaned into his friend’s personal space.

"They still print newspapers?" He whispered.

Natasha turned slightly to glare at Clint who immediately took the hint.

Obadiah directed his anger toward Fury who was standing in the back of the room with his arms crossed.

“How could this happen? We were supposed to get ahead of this!”

Fury barely flinched from Obadiah’s vitriol. “I can assure you that no one from _my_ team blabbed to the press, Stane.”

Instead of responding verbally, Obadiah eyed Fury as if he were suspicious of his answer, but Fury held firm in his position. After a moment of intense staring between the two men, Obadiah threw his hands up as he walked back to the front of the room.

“Be that as it may, Colonel Fury, I still believe selling Synergy to an outside bidder is the only recourse we have…I don’t see this project moving forward in its current capacity.”

Everyone turned to look at Tony who was on the opposite end of the conference table from Obadiah. There was a brief pause as everyone expected Tony to respond to Obadiah directly, but the longer he waited the more restless the room became.

Tony was at his boiling point; he knew the meeting would be a waste of time. As soon as he heard about the leak, Tony knew Synergy was finished.

Bruce, who was also sitting at the conference table next to Pepper, turned in his chair to address the group.

“Team, I know this doesn’t look good, but—”

“Doesn’t look good?” Obadiah interrupted, “Dr. Banner, please, I’ve never pegged you to be the one peddling false hopes.”

The mocking comment bristled Bruce who only shrugged in frustration as he turned in his chair to look at Fury who looked almost as angry as Tony.

“Stane,” Fury motioned with one hand toward Obadiah, “there’s no need for any of that, okay? We’re all on the same team.” He curtly added, now pointing defiantly at Obadiah who only crossed his arms.

“Colonel Rhodes?” Obadiah had turned to look directly at Rhodey who was sitting next to Pepper and Bruce at the table, “you can’t possible think that the government will sign off on this.”

Rhodey sighed deeply, glancing at Tony before turning to face the whole room. “My superiors are not happy that the explosion leaked to the press…” he took in another deep breath as he clasped his hands together, “…I know you all did the best that you could…but Synergy is too dangerous for the government to justify picking it up as a program…”

And as soon as Rhodey finished his statement, Tony rose quickly out of his chair, marching out the conference room. Everyone else, too stunned by the situation, tried to ignore it as Obadiah only shook his head.

“I apologize for Anthony’s short fuse,” a small smile marred his expression before he continued, “unfortunately, he’s been that way since he was a child, I’m afraid.”

Steve, who was standing against the wall opposite the door next to Thor and Shuri, uncrossed his arms as he took a step toward the conference table to stare sternly at Obadiah.

“Mr. Stane, I’m going to try to say this respectfully, but you have no idea how much work Tony’s put into ensuring the team’s safety.”

Obadiah rested his hands on his hips as he turned slightly to listen to Steve.

“Tony’s been doing a great job and you know all of this is only because _someone_ in this company is leaking secrets.”

Obadiah looked around the room as his expression changed. He then chuckled, his whole body shaking from his witless humor.

“Leaking secrets? Mr. Rogers, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this isn’t a spy thriller.”

Steve took another step toward Obadiah, never breaking his stare. “Yes, you’re right. This _isn’t_ a spy thriller. People’s lives are on the line and someone is trying to take away all of the good work this team has done so far.”

Obadiah rolled his eyes, betraying that he was becoming frustrated with Steve’s insistence. “Mr. Rogers, need I remind you that you were the victim of an explosion in Anthony’s lab?

Steve furrowed his brow. “The accident wasn’t Tony’s fault and you know that, Mr. Stane.” He glared at Obadiah who tried to reciprocate, but Steve was staring him down too intensely and it was obvious that Obadiah was becoming uneasy by it.

“From the beginning…” Steve began again, “Tony’s been cautious about the team’s safety. He wanted to end the program after Clint’s attack…” He motioned toward Clint who attempted to physically shrink away in his chair from the heated debate between Steve and Obadiah.

“…and if anything, external forces have been trying to stop us since we started this project.” Steve crossed his arms.

Obadiah stared at Steve before laughing to himself again. He crossed his arms again, looking downward before looking up at Steve with an unsettling grin.

“External forces, Mr. Rogers? What could you possibly mean by that?”

Steve shrugged. “I don’t know, Mr. Stane. You tell me.” He then turned to walk briskly out of the conference room.

The room became quiet as everyone looked back and forth between the door and Obadiah. Obadiah, for a brief moment, looked surprised by the accusation. Yet, he shrugged it off with a hand wave to avoid any further embarrassment.

“Can we please focus on next steps?” Obadiah tried, clearly blustered by Steve.

Fury walked to the front of the room. “Okay, first, I’ll need the team at S.H.E.I.L.D. for some debriefing…”

* * *

_Meanwhile…._

Tony was standing over a pile of uncleared debris in his lab, trying to calm himself down.

“Tony?” Tony turned around at the sound of Steve’s voice, watching him carefully enter the lab.

Tony sighed as he looked at Steve from a distance. “I’m sorry, Rogers…this whole fucking thing is my fault…”

Steve stayed where he was, but he shook his head. “No, it’s not, Tony. All of this was out of our control…”

Tony shook his head as he proceeded to walk around the lab, pretending to be surveying the remaining damage.

The atmosphere between both men was awkward at best; Steve hadn’t spent the night over at the penthouse since the night he told Tony that he loved him and they still hadn’t discussed it. Steve would visit to spend the day or have a meal or two with Tony and Peter, but Tony could never get him to stay the night.

Tony wasn’t sure how to articulate how he was feeling without further ruining his relationship with Steve. Tony could feel them growing distant, but he had trouble trying to be honest with himself. He did love Steve and he didn’t want to lose him.

“Was it really out of our control, Steve?” Tony stopped pacing, throwing his hands in the air in frustration, “from the very fucking beginning, every single precaution we’ve taken just made Synergy even more dangerous.”

Tony then turned slightly away from Steve; he no longer felt the closeness he had been experiencing with him up until now. And Tony knew it was his fault; Steve hadn’t called him out on his poor response to his love confession, but Tony couldn’t think of a productive way to try to explain himself, especially since it had been several days since.

“We only did the best that we could do, Tony…” Steve quietly offered, still standing quite a ways away from Tony at the entrance of the lab.

_Yeah, but my best always fucks me up_…Tony sighed in his head as he rested his hands on his hips, hanging his head low. He felt an urge to run over to Steve to hug him, but he fought against it.

“Tony…” Steve stepped further into the lab, “…we can get through this. This is just a minor setback…”

Tony slowly looked up in Steve’s direction, a little unsettled by Steve using “we” as if they were still a team.

“Rogers…I appreciate your enthusiasm….” Tony started as he watched Steve approach him.

Steve shook his head. “Just because Synergy is at a standstill doesn’t mean that the team needs to split up. We can only learn from this and create something better.”

Tony smiled meekly, laughing through the pain. “You still want to work here even though I nearly killed you?”

Steve, as he stopped a few feet in front of Tony, stared at him attentively. “Tony, don’t ever blame yourself for that. You know it wasn’t your fault.”

Tony couldn’t help himself as his eyes welled up. He nodded back at Steve, looking away. He could see Steve out of the corner of his eye, now smiling at him.

“Uh,” Tony turned some more to finally face Steve, “…are you still coming over tonight?”

Steve paused before nodding. Tony nodded back again, forgetting for about half a second the weird tension between them.

“Uh, you can also stay over…if you want…no pressure…” Tony added quietly, trying to sound jovial, yet he was annoyed with himself because he had been repeating the same line for several days now.

Steve looked at Tony; to Tony, Steve looked unsure.

“…uh…maybe…” Steve looked downward, shuffling from side to side, “I’ll have to see how I feel…might need to go home to get a good night’s rest…Peter’s better about this now, but you know how excited he gets whenever I stay—”

Tony had held up a hand, shaking his head. “It’s okay.” He turned around quickly to walk toward a heap of a ruined console to avoid having Steve see that he was becoming upset.

“We’ll just have you over for dinner then.” Tony managed to finish.

“Tony…” Tony was still facing away from Steve.

_I totally fucked up_…Tony groaned to himself. After a few seconds, he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. Tony sighed, fighting back a stream of tears brought on by the impending collapse of Synergy and his relationship with Steve.

“…we’ll get through this, okay?” Steve said quietly, but Tony wasn’t sure if Steve was referring to Synergy or their relationship.

Tony choked back a sob as he nodded his head. “Yep.” He felt Steve’s hand linger on his shoulder before he finally let go.

“I’m going to, uh…” Tony wiped his face as he braced himself with both hands against the console wreckage, “…spend some more time down here looking through this shit. I’ll see you later, okay?”

Some time passed as Tony anxiously waited for any response from Steve.

“…yeah, sure. I’ll see you and Peter tonight then.”

Tony nodded again, keeping his back facing Steve. After a moment, Tony sensed that he was alone in the lab.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.” Tony’s voice cracked as he called for the computer, “send an email to Banner and Shuri. Have them meet me in the lab tomorrow.”

“Right away, Sir.”

Tony hung his head low, now unable to stop tears from streaming down his face. He leaned over the console, crying to himself.

* * *

_Later that afternoon…_

Steve was riding the subway back to Brooklyn. He needed some alone time before going back to the Tower to have dinner with Peter and Tony. Tony had sent Steve a message offering him a ride, but Steve declined; he knew he would end up confronting Tony and he was still struggling with how to cope with Tony rejecting him.

_Then why are we so close and why does he keep asking me to stay over? _Steve wondered. _Maybe he's not serious...?_

A jolt reverberating throughout the subway car forced Steve’s body to bump into a shorter older woman. Steve instinctively held out a hand to help the woman, and she gratefully thanked him for stopping her from falling over. Steve smiled back, but on the inside, he felt miserable.

As he walked slowly to his apartment, Steve contemplated cancelling on Tony; he didn’t understand why they were drifting apart and why it was so difficult to discuss it.

Steve opened the door to his apartment to find Bucky and Sam loudly playing video games in their living room. Steve nodded at them, walking past his boisterous friends to his bedroom. He hadn’t told either of them that he had confessed to Tony that he loved him because Steve had been feeling overwhelmed by the inundation of constant relationship advice.

Steve opened the door to his bedroom before sitting on the edge of his bed. As soon as he sat down, he hung his head low with a sigh. He found his phone in his pocket, staring at it as he seriously considered cancelling dinner plans.

Steve mentally perused through past details concerning his relationship with Tony: Tony had been more than great while Steve was in recovery and Steve felt a wonderful connection toward Peter, also. Steve truly believed that the three of them could be a family someday.

Steve stayed on the edge, twirling his phone around. He reminded himself to be patient with Tony when it came to their relationship and that he needed to give him some more time.

Steve tapped his phone in the palm of his hand before rising from the bed. As he got ready for dinner, Steve told himself that he’ll just give Tony some space to figure things out, knowing he shouldn’t pressure him.

* * *

_The next day…_

“So...” Tony was standing in the middle of the lab, facing Bruce and Shuri.

“…I’ve already had J.A.R.V.I.S. itemize whatever was salvageable, so we need to look through this mess and figure out what to keep and what to toss.”

Both Shuri and Bruce nodded back at Tony before scouring the lab for material. Some minutes passed as the trio called out to each other whenever someone came across an item.

Something out of the corner of Shuri’s eye caught her attention. She crouched down near an object, taking a moment before realizing what she had discovered.

"Bruce! Tony! I found a piece of the core."

Tony and Bruce walked over to Shuri who was now standing up with a small piece of the Synergy’s device’s vibranium core in her hand. The three of them looked at each other before looking at the core.

Bruce patted Tony on the back. “Tony—”

“Destroy it.” Tony firmly responded before Bruce could get a whole sentence in. Both Bruce and Shuri expressed their confusion at one another.

Bruce shook his head. “Tony? Destroy it? But we can use it—”

“No, destroy it.” Tony repeated as he walked away from the huddle. Bruce turned to Shuri, visibly pleading for some backup, but Shuri looked defeated, hanging her head low with a heavy sigh.

“I agree with Tony, Bruce. We know that Thanos is trying to replicate a core similar to this one for his super weapon. And if we let an outside company bid on the remnants of Synergy including the core—"

“Then Thanos will find a way to get it.” Tony finished the thought for Shuri with his back still facing them.

“We’ll tell the board that the core was destroyed in the lab explosion.” Tony added before finally turning around to look back at Bruce and Shuri.

Bruce and Shuri looked at each other before facing Tony again. After a moment they reluctantly agreed with him before Tony dictated some more instructions.

Bruce walked over to Tony, waiting for Shuri to be out of ear shot. “Hey, Tony. Are you okay?”

Tony turned to Bruce with a slight grin. “Besides losing Synergy, I’m doing great.”

Bruce grimaced, evidently not convinced. “…how are things with Steve?”

Tony rolled his eyes, making a move to walk away from Bruce. “I really don’t know how that relates to Synergy, but we’re fine.”

Bruce nodded. Tony could tell that he wanted to ask for more detail, but eventually let it go. Tony knew that if he told any of his friends that Steve had told him that he loved him and he didn’t say it back, they would give him a lecture about his relationship patterns, and Tony didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with that and Synergy.

“Okay!” Tony clapped his hands together to address Bruce and Shuri again, “let’s haul the items we're keeping to Banner’s lab.”

Tony pointed at Bruce. “Got any ideas on destroying the rest and not leaving any traces?”

Bruce nodded, thinking deeply before answering. “I’m working on something that will dissolve the material we use to construct our labs' hardware and software.”

Tony rubbed his hands together with a fake grin. “Sounds mad scientist-y. Let’s go with Banner’s secret material decomposer that he probably should have disclosed with me first.”

Bruce rolled his eyes as they all began taking material out of Tony's lab and down the corridor to his lab.

“What about the security cameras, Tony?” Bruce asked, nearly dropping a damaged piece of sensitive material.

Tony waved a hand around as he motioned toward Bruce to be careful.

“I got Pepper on it.”

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Obadiah was sitting at his desk in his office, fidgeting around in his chair as he was having an extremely frustrating conversation on the phone.

“I don’t know what to tell you...while I’m inclined to believe the opposite, Anthony and his team said the device’s core was obliterated in the explosion…”

Obadiah grinned as if he were having an in-person conversation, but then his expression changed.

He rolled his eyes. “I know this is a setback, but we have the schematics. And I’m sure your father can bid for a reasonable price on vibranium. God knows the Wakandans have an immense supply of it…”

Obadiah tapped on his desk with one finger as he leaned back into his chair. “…I’m aware that Howard’s schematic notations are difficult to understand…the man was never transparent…I’m sure your father’s team of scientists are more than capable—”

The voice on the other side of the receiver rose in earnest which twisted Obadiah’s face into irritation. He nodded his head emphatically as he prevented himself from sighing with frustration.

“I _know_ this is another setback, and I realize that it’s not going to plan, but we have the schematics and Anthony has to also hand over any salvageable material per the board’s request…”

Obadiah straightened up in his chair. He rolled his eyes again as he rose from his chair, walking over to the nearest window to look out onto the cityscape.

“…look, I wouldn’t worry about it. We have the schematics and the surviving hardware.”

He turned around to face the middle of the office, nodding. After a minute of barely listening, Obadiah looked at his watch, noting the time passed in what he thought was an unnecessary conversation.

“Great. Glad to hear it. Will be in touch soon with those materials.”

* * *

_The next night…_

With a frustrated groan, Tony turned over onto his side to face the side of the bed where Steve usually slept. He hated it whenever they were apart, especially at night. Tony groaned again as he turned over onto his back to stare up at the ceiling.

Earlier that day, Tony had been doing damage control with Pepper and Fury: signing off on press releases and the necessary paperwork and phoning anxious investors. It would take several months, maybe a year or two to close out the team’s correspondences.

Fury had debriefed the team at S.H.I.E.L.D.’s headquarters. He had reassured the team that their good work with the Synergy device would be highlighted against the lab explosion, and that they were required to surrender their company materials and sensitive project information.

The lab explosion was being framed as an example of the Synergy’s device’s failsafe mechanism. And Obadiah was already in the process of interviewing several contractors to bid on the rest of Synergy’s hardware.

_And how many stable, healthy relationships did you have prior to that?_

_…I’m surprised the boy lasted this long_…

Tony squinted his eyes as he let Obadiah’s words shoot painful jabs throughout his body. Maybe Obadiah was right; Tony couldn’t even say out loud that he loved Steve.

And suddenly, through his continuing misery and self-doubt, Tony remembered that he had stashed his father’s diary in his desk in his home office.

The day he had recovered the diary, he had refused to read it, almost completely forgetting about it until now. Tony wasn’t sure what the point of reading the diary would be; nothing would change his feelings toward the way his father had treated him and the thought of reading the diary right now would only exacerbate his anxiety over failed relationships.

Tony sighed, waiting before pushing himself out of the bed. He dragged himself out of the room toward his office before stopping at the entrance to the kitchen. He sighed again, sulking into the kitchen, plopping down on a stool at the island.

_Why am I thinking about this fucking diary right now?_ The thought was weighing heavy on his mind.

He knew this would keep him up all night, so he figured maybe having a drink would calm his nerves enough to get a few hours of sleep. He took a moment before walking over to one of the cupboards to retrieve a bottle of aged whiskey before finding a glass.

Ever since he started seeing Steve, Tony had been drinking less. However, there were times, like this one especially, where Tony needed something to calm his uneasiness. He poured himself a drink, downing the pour as soon as the whiskey filled the glass. Tony stared at the empty glass as Obadiah’s voice and memories of his dad popped right back into head. He sighed, pouring himself another glass.

He turned around with the glass and the bottle, sitting back down at the island. He tried to focus on relaxing but his mind drifted back to his dad’s diary. He poured another drink before rising from his stool, carrying the bottle and the glass to his office.

Already feeling tipsy from his few drinks, Tony wobbled into the office, slumping down hard into his desk chair. He placed the bottle and the glass on the top of the desk before staring at the drawer that contained his dad’s diary.

Tony breathed deeply as he pulled the diary out of the desk, turning it over a few times. As he slowly cracked it open to the first page, Tony recognized almost immediately the date of his nineteenth birthday.

He spread the diary open on top of his desk; his hands shook as he held the diary flat. As he read the entry, he felt his eyes swell. He continued on to other entries until they stopped abruptly in 1991. He read every single word, becoming dizzy with every sentence.

After some time, Tony slowly closed the diary, glancing upward at a wall clock to see that he had been reading for a few hours. He looked back down at the diary before slowly getting out of the chair to sink to the floor. Tony couldn’t believe that his father never told him how he felt. He clutched the diary to his chest, feeling his face becoming flush as tears started to stream down his cheeks. He wiped his eyes, but then he began to cry hysterically from the pain.

Not only had his father kept from him how he truly felt toward him, Tony had never lived up to the image his father saw of him. What did he have to show? Pepper often deferred to him for serious company decisions, but she was the CEO of Stark Industries and he lost control of his dad’s legacy project. He had his own kid now to take care of, but how much of Tony’s baggage from his relationship with his father may have appeared in his relationship with Peter?

And Steve. Tony groaned; Steve was so understanding but Tony knew he was too much of a mess to handle.

_Steve deserves so much better…_

Tony let his body topple over to the floor so he could lie down on his side. His earlier tipsy feeling intensified as his body’s low tolerance to the alcohol exacerbated his emotions. Tony held the diary against his chest, crying to himself before sniffling quietly. Eventually he drifted off to sleep after settling from his fit.

* * *

_Late the following morning…_

Tony groaned as he turned over onto his back, realizing that he had fallen asleep on the floor of his office. He groaned again as his body ached from the whiskey and sleeping on the hard floor. Tony blinked a few times before he turned his head, seeing his dad’s diary laying open next to him on its spin, face up.

Tony felt his eyes well up as he thought about last night and all of his insecurities. Tony closed his eyes as he began crying again, knowing fully that he needed to let Steve go so he wouldn’t have to suffer through any more drama.

_I can’t commit and I almost killed him_…Tony wiped his eyes before shielding them as he cried some more.

After a second, he propped himself up, looking around at what he could see in his office from the floor. He looked down at his dad’s diary before looking past the desk to see the time on the wall clock.

Tony groaned as he tried to get up from the floor, staggering from the aches. He leaned up against the desk, trying to give himself enough courage to confront Steve and finally do what he should have done a long time ago.

* * *

_Sometime later..._

Tony inhaled deeply as he knocked on the door to Steve's apartment. He waited a minute before the door opened to reveal Steve.

“Tony? Are you all right?” Steve asked, clearly surprised to be seeing Tony unexpectedly.

Tony shook his head. “Can I come in? We need to talk.”

Steve nodded slowly as he motioned for Tony to come inside. Tony walked into the apartment, waiting for Steve to close the door. Tony looked around the space as he felt Steve rub his back before walking ahead of him.

“It’s really great to see you, Tony, but I thought we were spending some time together tomorrow night?”

Steve motioned for Tony to follow him to the table in the kitchen space. Tony waited for Steve to take a seat before sitting down, shaking his head at Steve's comment. Steve smiled at him as he waited and Tony felt even more horrible for what he was about to do.

“Would you like anything to drink?” Steve asked; his expression was soft.

Tony smiled back, albeit not as wide as Steve, before shaking his head. “No, but thank you…”

Steve nodded before a few minutes of awkward silence fell between them. Tony told himself to just get it over with. He reached out for Steve’s hand, holding it tightly. There was no way to ease the pain he felt and the pain he would undoubtedly inflict upon someone he truly cared for, but knew there was no future with.

Tony sighed. “Steve…this…it can’t…I don’t think…” His breath hitched before he could continue, looking up at Steve to try to express solemnity as much as possible, but he knew his external expression would betray him.

Steve continued to wait. Tony could tell that Steve had sensed that something was wrong, but Tony wasn’t sure if Steve had caught on that he was about to break up with him.

Tony took another deep breath as he attempted to reorganize his thoughts. “Steve. I don’t think we should see each other anymore. I’m sorry.” He squeezed his eyes shut as soon as he finished his statement, afraid to look Steve in the eye.

“What? What are you talking about, Tony?” Of course, Steve sounded confused, but Tony could think of no better way to express his feelings.

Tony knew he would only drag Steve down further into his misery, and Tony cared about him too much to do that to him. Especially when Steve had his whole life ahead of himself and would certainly find someone better suited for him.

“I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” Tony repeated. This time without opening his eyes, he turned his head away from Steve, holding his hand even tighter.

“Tony? You…can’t be serious…” Tony felt Steve yank his hand away from his grip. He finally opened his eyes to see Steve sitting up straight in his chair with his hands on his thighs. He locked eyes with Steve and couldn’t look away; Steve’s gaze was intense and captivating, although it hurt to experience it.

Tony muffled a whimper, unable to explain any further. He knew what to say, but the sight of Steve choked all of the words out of his throat.

“…you are serious…” Steve continued as it became increasingly obvious that Tony wasn’t going to or unable to fully respond.

Tony couldn’t even answer Steve with a nod; he was too upset with the entire situation. He choked down a few sobs as he watched Steve reel from rejection.

“Is this because of Synergy? Tony, you don’t have to do this. I’m disappointed that the government didn’t pick up the program, but that doesn’t matter—”

"Steve, please!” Tony jumped up from his chair, spinning around, before walking a few paces away from the kitchen into the living room. At this point, Tony was close to a full-on cry and couldn’t look at Steve without bursting into tears.

“Tony?” He heard behind his back. At this point all Tony wanted to do was to turn to Steve and hug him as tightly as possible. He began to regret what he had said.

_But no, this can’t work…_Tony reminded himself.

The only thing that was keeping them together was Synergy and now that that had fallen through—mostly because of Tony—what was the reason to keep Steve in such a failure of a relationship? Steve could have anyone; Tony knew that Steve cared about him, but he could be with someone better than Tony. Someone who hadn’t made so many dangerous enemies.

“Steve…” Tony began again. He sighed as he placed his hands on hips, keeping his back toward Steve. “…it has nothing to do with Synergy…”

“Then what is it?” Before Tony could formulate his reasonings, Steve jumped in, “I know we had our rough periods, especially the issue with the weapons manufacturing thing and going behind your back with your dad’s diary, but I thought this was…is serious…” His voice trailed off.

Tony kept his back facing him; he could hear small sniffling noises which prompted tears to slide down his own face.

Another period of uncomfortable silence passed as the room was only filled with the sound of muffled crying from both Tony and Steve. Tony stopped himself by inhaling and exhaling deeply, telling himself he needed to turn around, face Steve, and explain himself. After all, he did owe him that.

“Steve, you deserve better than me. You could do better than me. I've fucked up every serious relationship in my entire life and I’m only going to ruin this one.” Tony turned around slowly as he explained, resting his hands on his hips, but opted to look directly at the floor before summing up enough courage to face Steve again.

Steve was holding solidly in position, but his face was telling a different story as Tony finally looked at him. He had never seen Steve this upset before.

Steve looked down and away from Tony, taking in a deep breath before looking up. “…are you doing this because…I told you that I love you?” He asked quietly.

Tony froze much like he had when Steve confessed his feelings the first time.

“…because I do…” Steve took a step toward Tony who instinctively took a step backward away from him, “…I love you and I love Peter…I really think we could be a family—”

“Steve, stop. I’m sorry, but please stop.” Tony shook his head as he turned around to walk to the front door.

“Tony, why are you doing this?” Steve followed Tony to the door.

Tony turned slightly as he tried to open the door. “I’m just doing us a favor, Steve.”

Tony struggled with opening the lock because he couldn’t think clearly enough to unlock it. He could sense Steve standing right behind him before feeling two hands around his waist.

Tony stopped struggling with the lock as he let Steve gently turn him around so he could face him directly.

“Tony, please—”

“Steve, stop!” Tony wiggled around in Steve’s grasp. He could tell that although Steve was trying to get him to stay, he would let him go if he was truly serious.

“This is the best thing for us. Just trust me, okay?” Tony stared at Steve, trying not to cry again.

Steve stared back at Tony, seemingly on the verge of fighting back another fit of his own. Tony closed his eyes as he wrapped a hand around Steve’s arm to disengage himself. Steve backed away from the door so Tony had some space.

“I’m sorry, Steve…” Tony finally wrenched the door open, closing it quickly as he entered the hallway. He could feel himself becoming emotional again so he raced back to his car before he could change his mind. As he drove away from Steve’s apartment, his body overreacted to the moment, causing him to cry uncontrollably from the feeling.

Tony pulled over so he could try to process what just happened, too upset to drive any further. He closed his eyes and counted to himself, reminding himself that he was doing the right thing by letting Steve go.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, R.I.P. King T’Challa 😢 Wakanda Forever.

_Over a year later…_

Steve sighed to himself as he turned on the lights to his office. He took every free, non-work moment before the workday officially began as he strolled to his desk, placing his workbag in its usual spot on the floor next to his desk before slumping down into his chair.

_Okay, no distractions today…_Steve thought with determination, turning his computer on to check emails before picking up a task that he needed to finish before lunchtime.

Steve didn’t mind the office. Actually, the medium-sized, wall-offed office surrounded by a few cubicles was nice. The office space was also not too far away from his apartment in Brooklyn, so Steve would often ride his bike to work.

Despite Synergy’s lingering safety concerns, having been an active participant in the program led to a few great opportunities for Steve. He accepted a position with New York City’s public defender’s office that had an outpost in Brooklyn. That position was soon followed by a teaching opportunity at Columbia University after one of Steve’s former law school professors reached out to him once the project ended.

Steve’s weekly routine consisted of spending five days out of the week, sometimes six, at the public defender’s office in Brooklyn and taking the subway to Morningside to teach a class at Columbia’s law school once a week. It seemed as if Steve was headed in the direction he had always intended with his life. However, despite all the professional success and opportunities, Steve found it difficult to get over Tony.

Sam and Bucky, like they had when Steve’s relationship with Peggy failed, had been trying to cheer up their heart broken friend with their usual bro-antics, but this time was different. Steve thought constantly about Tony ever since the day the latter came over to his apartment to break up with him. Steve thought there was more to their relationship and that they were beyond some of their issues, but apparently it was all one sided.

Despite protests from the group, Tony finally decided that it was better not to pursue another project since Synergy was such a failure, and Steve hadn’t seen Tony since the team disbanded. There were many times Steve thought about texting or calling Tony, but he found it too painful and confusing in the beginning to follow through.

After a few weeks of silence, Steve tried to call Tony, but he never answered. Steve was afraid to push communication even further without Tony responding; all Steve could think about was their blow ups in the past and he knew an argument over their breakup would probably end poorly.

Steve knew that telling Tony that he loved him was risky, but he never thought Tony would break up with him. Steve also thought that Tony would reach out to him eventually, but he hadn’t heard one word from Tony in over a year, and Steve didn’t want to make things worse by constantly calling his phone or visiting Stark Tower unannounced.

Considering their history of miscommunication, Steve thought maybe giving Tony some space would lead to some form of closure, but it never came. As Steve mentally filed through the things they said and did to one another, he had come to the conclusion that while their relationship wasn’t perfect, being with Tony was great. Well, seemingly to Steve anyway.

It wasn’t until about a month ago that Steve realized that he had gone a whole week without thinking about Synergy or Tony Stark. Yet, when the memories resurfaced on occasion, Steve had trouble processing the outcome, though he pressed on in order to get through his days.

And to add to his weird mix of emotions, also about a month ago, Steve had started seeing someone new, Sharon Carter; a fellow lawyer stationed at the main public defender’s office in Manhattan. They had only been out to dinner a few times; nothing physical had happened between the two considering Steve was still trying to get over Tony. Even still, spending time with Sharon was a nice respite from brooding over Tony. However, and even though Steve would never say it out loud to anyone, he sorely missed Tony.

Steve inhaled deeply as he looked downward at his desk drawer. He exhaled as he pulled it open, shuffling around some folders and papers until he found the chip embedded with the failsafe codes to the Synergy device Tony had given him a while back. Fury had instructed the team to hand over their lab work and destroy any sensitive material, but Steve couldn’t do it. The chip was the only thing he had kept that reminded him of Tony.

_Besides, I doubt it still works…_Steve reminded himself.

_…only use the chip in dire situations…_

_…now speaking as…well you know…we have an hour before we really need to do some work, if you’re interested…_

Steve sighed as he thought about that day, smiling a little as he remembered that that was also the same day Tony had asked him to try out the team’s safety uniforms.

Steve’s mind dwelled on the memories until he was interrupted by a soft knock at his door. He flailed around trying to delicately hide the chip in the desk again before answering the knock.

“Come in!” Steve ran a hand through his hair as he pretended to be reading through some emails.

Steve’s office assistant popped her head into his office. “Mr. Rogers? There’s a visitor here to see you.”

Steve sighed to himself again, thinking that his assistant was referring to Bucky who usually took some of the interns out to lunch whenever he visited the office. They were on a deadline for a major case and Steve needed everyone to work through lunch to prep.

“I hate looking like the bad guy, but could you tell Bucky we’re all eating lunch here today? We have that deadline on—”

“Uh, it’s not Mr. Barnes, Mr. Rogers…” Steve’s assistant entered the office, slowly closing the door behind her. She looked to be on the verge of trying to contain unbridled excitement.

“It’s Tony Stark.”

Steve’s widening eyes watched his usually reserved and stoic assistant bounce with joy, but Steve was too shocked to say anything intelligent.

“I _can’t _believe I just met Tony Stark…” Steve’s assistant could care less that her boss looked absolutely terrified. To her, she just met a celebrity, not her boss’s ex-boyfriend who had ghosted him for entire year.

Steve attempted a nod, but his neck wouldn’t respond. He clenched the armrests on his chair; he couldn’t go out to the cubicles, but he also couldn’t hide in his office. He thought maybe he should ask his assistant to tell Tony that he was busy with the deadline, but Steve knew Tony would see right through that.

“Should I let him in? He seems excited to see you.” Steve’s assistant motioned toward the door.

Steve swallowed a lump in his throat as he adjusted his tie, confused that Tony was excited to see him even though he hadn’t heard from him.

“…uh…tell him…uh, I’ll…just follow you out…” Steve rose slowly from his chair and walked out of the office ahead of his assistant. He took his time surveying the cubicles until he spotted Tony chatting with another intern next to their cubicle.

Both Tony and the intern were laughing loudly at whatever Tony was joking about. Steve took a moment before approaching them; he could feel the palm of his hands sweating and his cheeks becoming flush. He watched Tony glance over in his general direction, smiling widely as he finished his sentence. Steve could feel his patience rapidly fall to an all-time low, however, all those times fantasizing about what he would say to Tony when they finally saw each other again were forgotten in the moment.

Steve smiled a little just to put on a measured façade in front of his employees. “Tony.” He greeted, holding out his hand for Tony to shake.

“It’s nice to see you again, Rogers.” Tony accepted Steve’s hand, taking his time shaking it back which sent a wave of emotions through Steve’s body.

Both men stared at each other, ignoring everyone else around them. After another second, Steve shook his head to snap out of his daze. He pointed back toward his office.

“Uh, you wanted to see me?”

Tony nodded, still smiling. “Yep. Are you busy?”

Steve shook his head again, this time a little too vigorously, as he turned to walk back toward his office without motioning for Tony to follow him. He let Tony in first, who paused before entering.

“Wow, Rogers,” Tony looked around Steve’s office as he walked in further, “this is super nice.” He sat down in front of Steve’s desk, still grinning which both irritated and charmed Steve at the same time.

Steve nodded as he closed the door before sitting down in his desk chair. “Thanks.” Was all he could manage in a situation he had never thought he would find himself in while pushing for a deadline in the middle of the week.

The two settled, waiting through absolute, increasingly awkward silence. Steve was waiting for Tony to explain why he was there without any prior notice along with hopefully explaining why he hadn’t heard from him after all his messages and calls.

“I like the beard, by the way.” Tony smiled widely at Steve as he pointed to his face, “well, I like the old look, too. But this really suits you.”

Steve looked away, embarrassed that Tony’s comment made him blush even though he was still irritated with his behavior.

“So…” Steve began as he regained control over himself, telling himself to remain as calm as possible, “how can I help you?”

Tony made a face at Steve as he crossed his legs, perhaps reacting to how formal Steve was being. He looked away before looking back at Steve.

“I’m relaunching Synergy and I want you to rejoin the team.” Tony ended with a casual shrug and grin.

Steve’s face contorted a few times as he tried to process the moment. “…you can’t be serious, Tony…” He thought he had mumbled his response to himself, but it was obvious that Tony had heard him; Tony’s otherwise cheerful disposition quickly faded.

“Oh, I am _very_ serious, Rogers.” Tony firmly added.

Steve shook his head. “Tony—”

“Steve, listen…” Tony interjected as he uncrossed his legs to lean forward in his chair, “Synergy needs you for this to work. The team needs you…I need you…” Tony was staring intently at Steve much like he had the first day the team had gathered for orientation at Stark Industries.

Steve couldn’t help expressing how shocked he was by Tony’s sincerity. Besides being busy with work and his class at Columbia, there was no way Steve would go back to working on Synergy after the way things ended with Tony.

“Tony, thanks for the offer, but no…” Steve sat up rigid in his chair, “I haven’t heard from you in over a year…” Now there was no way Steve could stay cool without confronting Tony.

Tony nodded slowly, looking around Steve’s office again before resting his eyes back on Steve. He sighed before continuing.

“I completely understand where you’re coming from…and I’m really sorry about that…” Tony breathed deeply, “…but I can’t do this without you, Steve…”

Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He watched Tony stare at him, almost as if he were silently pleading with Steve to just accept everything that had happened between the last time they saw each other and now.

Steve shook his head again, bracing himself against the desk before responding. “Where does everyone else stand on this?”

Tony smirked as he crossed his arms. “It took some convincing, but everyone else is on board, including Fury.”

Steve’s eyes widened. “Really? How can we even do this if we don’t have control over the project? Also, the Synergy device—"

“This is obviously top secret and doesn’t leave this room…,” Tony paused, “…but I’ve got Banner and Shuri building a new device.”

Steve shook his head as he listened, making a move to respond, but Tony ignored him.

“…and as for working conditions, we’ll need to relocate for a while. Obviously, this has to be done on the low, so I have a new outpost, Stark Enterprises…,” Tony laughed nervously, “…actually, remember that place where I store my gadgets? We’re rebuilding the device there, undetected.”

Steve’s eyes grew wider. Also, for some annoying reason, once Tony mentioned his undisclosed warehouse in Queens, Steve’s brain triggered the memory of the two of them dancing at the mansion in Malibu before they met with those buyers on the black market. Steve shook his head, telling himself to focus.

“Tony, this sounds dangerous.”

Tony laughed quietly. “Aren’t you the one who would stop at no cost to save Synergy? Well, here’s your chance, Rogers.”

Steve grimaced. “Yes, but that was before…” He couldn’t bring himself to discuss the breakup; it was too painful to rehash after spending months trying to recover from it and Tony appeared more than fine with it.

Tony nodded as his expression changed. “Steve…I’m really sorry…I…”

Steve shook his head again. He was struggling with trying to process seeing Tony again and possibly relaunching Synergy. But there was no way he could move forward with the team.

“…I can’t, Tony…I’m sorry…” Steve ultimately admitted.

Tony waited a moment before clapping his hands together. “Okay, well…it was worth the shot.” His voice trembled as he answered.

Steve only nodded as he rose from his desk to walk Tony out. Tony did the same, but he waved Steve off.

“It’s all right, I can see myself out.” He tried with a faltering smile.

Steve nodded again as he sat back down at his desk watching Tony leave the office. As soon as the door closed, Steve groaned loudly, placing his head into his hands.

_There’s no way…_Steve agonized internally over Tony’s proposal.

How could they possibly work together? Tony was right that Steve would stop at nothing to save Synergy but that was before they grew distant.

_…only use the chip in dire situations…_Steve glanced downward at the desk drawer with the chip inside.

Memories of working with Tony and spending time together with Peter filtered in through Steve’s thoughts. He closed his eyes shut, telling himself that it was over, and he needed to move on.

Yet, this was the moment he had been fantasizing about: finally seeing Tony again. And just in that one moment, Steve was experiencing so many emotions and feelings. He cared about Synergy and the team. He also cared about Tony, no matter what happened between them. When they worked well together, they were great. And even though they had their rough moments, they also found a way to work through their differences together.

Steve opened his eyes, now staring back at the door. After what felt like an eternity, Steve knew he couldn’t let Tony get away this time.

Steve jumped out of his chair, swinging the office door open before jogging past his interns until he was at the entrance of the building. He threw open the door, looking down both sides of the sidewalk until he saw Tony getting inside his car with Happy sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Tony, wait!” Steve held the door open before running toward Tony’s car.

“Oh, hey, Steve!” Happy greeted him immediately, “how’s it going?”

Steve smiled and waved as he approached the car. Tony was standing next to it with the door open, looking shocked that Steve had followed him outside.

“Tony,” Steve stopped a couple feet away from Tony, “I’ll do it.”

Tony looked even more surprised, so surprised that Steve wasn’t sure how to gauge his reaction.

“Uh, that’s…” Tony laughed as he smiled, turning more to face Steve, “…that’s great to hear, Rogers!”

Steve smiled back, nodding. “Just let me know when you want me, and I’ll be there.”

Tony nodded back. He moved toward Steve then hesitated, backing away to lean up against the car.

“Of course…I’ll send you an encrypted email as soon as I get back to the Tower…or…” he shuffled back and forth on his feet, “I can call you? Your number is still the same, right?”

Steve nodded, still smiling, so much so that it was easy to forget that he and Tony hadn’t spoken to one another since their breakup and that he was kind of seeing some else at the moment.

“Hey, boss,” Happy interrupted what felt like forever between Steve and Tony smiling at each other, “I gotta get you back to the Tower for that board meeting.”

Tony tapped on the top of the car before looking back at Steve. “I’ll talk to you later, Rogers.” He gave Steve one last reassuring smile before sliding into the car.

Steve stayed on the sidewalk as he watched Happy pull away, continuing to watch the car drive down the street. As he lingered, Steve began to feel the way he felt the first time he realized he was attracted to Tony. Something about it kept the smile on Steve’s face as he took his time walking back into the building, thinking about Synergy and Tony.

* * *

_Later that day…_

Tony couldn’t believe that he had managed to convince Steve to rejoin Synergy. His mind swirled with varying degrees of emotions the entire ride back to Stark Tower.

_Also, he looks really fucking good…_Tony thought about Steve during the entire board meeting instead of paying attention to the agenda which included some paltry events and more Synergy close out.

After the meeting, Tony drove himself to his newly formed Stark Enterprises in Queens to meet Bruce who was secretly working on the new Synergy device.

“Hey, Banner.” Tony greeted as he entered the main space. The set up wasn’t as luxurious as the labs at Stark Tower, but the space was equipped with all of the basic amenities that would come with working in a Stark Industries lab.

After the project ended, Bruce went back to work on his daily tasks for the company. Tony had also hired Shuri as a fulltime Stark Industries employee. And everyone else on the team went back to work at their original positions before they joined Synergy.

“Hey, Tony. How did it go?” Bruce turned away from the console he was working at to address Tony.

Tony sighed heavily as he slumped down into an aluminum chair near the console Bruce was stationed.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you break up with Natasha, don’t speak to her for a year, ask her to rejoin Synergy then ask me how _that _went.”

Bruce nodded slowly. “I’m sure it was tough seeing Steve again...”

Tony groaned as he leaned forward in the chair to place his head into his hands. “That’s the understatement of the fucking century…but miraculously, he’s on board despite my best efforts in pushing away one of the only good things to happen to me in a while…”

Bruce paused as he placed the tablet he was holding on the console. “…did you tell Steve what happened after you guys broke up?” He asked quietly.

Tony stared up at Bruce as he sighed again with grief. “No. And I really don’t plan on it.”

Bruce nodded slowly, but instead of responding he picked up his tablet to go back to his work. Tony stared at him, making it obvious that he knew his friend wanted to say more.

“What, Banner?”

Bruce shrugged. “Nothing…I’m just worried about you, that’s all.” He barely missed a beat as he returned to his work.

Tony watched Bruce work, annoyed that his friend knew him too well.

“…fuck…okay…I _know _I made a mistake…ending things with Steve…” Tony leaned back into the chair. He looked everywhere except at Bruce who had placed his tablet back on the console.

“…Peter asks about him all the time…he was so upset when I told him Steve and I broke up…and I didn’t realize how much I cared—care about Steve until it was too late…but I think I can get him back…something about seeing him again makes me feel like maybe I have a chance, you know?”

Bruce slowly nodded as he let out a sigh. “Tony, to be honest, I’m not really sure why you ended things with Steve in the first place…I know you thought your past would ruin your relationship, but you guys were great together…I’m just glad you recognize that now.”

Tony let out a painful groan as he let his body slide forward so that his top half was lying in the seat of his chair. Bruce walked over to pat him awkwardly on the shoulder. Tony sank lower into the chair, staring up at the trusses in the ceiling.

“…can we please get back to work? We got things to do, Banner.” Tony sighed before launching his body out of the chair, appearing as if he didn’t just have a heartfelt conversation over someone he knew he was in love with but was still too afraid to admit.

Bruce nodded as he switched mental gears. “Oh! Did you get an invite to that tech expo?”

Tony stared blankly at Bruce as he approached the console he usually worked at. “What tech expo?”

“The one happening on Roosevelt Island. I’m sure they sent you something. It’s supposed to be the biggest thing happening this year.”

Tony smacked his forehead as he remembered receiving an invitation a while back for some international tech event that planned to feature some of the biggest names in the industry while also giving startups some space to brand their new ideas.

“Yeah, I did, but I’m not going. Nothing exciting ever happens at those things.” Tony turned to pick up a tablet from the console.

Bruce shrugged as the pair went back to work for some time, but Tony had trouble focusing. All he could think about was seeing Steve again and how he could figure out some way to show him that he still cared about him and maybe they could start over.

“Uh, do you think…” Tony began, turning around to lean up against is his console, “…I should invite Steve to the thing I’m having at my place next weekend? That’s not desperate, right?”

Bruce shook his head. “Of course not, Tony. You can always say it’s something for the team. You can also tell him he can bring a plus one or something just to make him feel more comfortable.”

Tony nodded. “That’s a good idea, Banner. But hopefully he brings one of his friends and not a date.” He joked, of course unaware of the magnitude of such a decision.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

“This is incredible.”

A blinding, flashing light reflected off Obadiah’s safety visor shields.

“…how did you get it to finally stop shaking?” He asked as the scientists on the other side of the glass reflection gave him and Thanos the signal that it was safe to remove their glasses.

“This is a significantly smaller version, so whatever is emanated stays composed. But I’m trying for something bigger.” Thanos responded as he turned around to exit the safety room.

Obadiah quickly followed him. “Bigger? Thanos, I understand that you’re trying to create your ‘super’ weapon, but you should take what you have here and sell it to the highest bidder. This is almost close to what Anthony managed to cobble together.”

Thanos stopped walking to turn around slowly to face Obadiah. “That _isn’t_ the plan.” He offered curtly before spinning around to continue toward the testing room.

Obadiah rolled his eyes as he jogged to keep up with Thanos. “Thanos, your weapon can be sold to people who will pay more than you realize even for this. That’s what we agreed on. If you go any further—"

Thanos stopped in his tracks causing Obadiah to almost run into him from behind. “If I don’t go further, I won’t achieve my goals which is what this entire process has been about.”

Obadiah glared back at him, yet he was confused by what exactly Thanos was getting at. They had the schematics, Tony no longer had control over Synergy, and they were free to sell their version of the device with Stark Industries reaping the benefits.

Thanos stepped closer toward him, mere inches away from his face. “If you trust my methods, then you’ll trust that we’ll produce this ‘super’ weapon to its full capacity.” He made sure to emphasize the word “super”, showing his frustration with everyone referring to his masterpiece so trivially.

Obadiah grimaced, although he was still confused by Thanos’s tone. “Fine…” All he wanted was to sell Synergy, but he couldn’t do it without Thanos and his team of scientists.

Thanos grinned at him, accentuating that wicked scar on his face. “Good.” He motioned for Obadiah to follow him into the testing room. As they entered the room, the scientists scrambled around trying to prep the device again for use. Thanos motioned for Obadiah to stand with him near the device.

“What you see here, Stane, is the future. No one will be able to contest it.”

Obadiah looked at Thanos then at the device. It looked more or less like the device Tony and his team had constructed with a few modifications that could be gleamed from Howard’s original schematics. The original device that Thanos had constructed with the help of Dr. Selvig and the parts Loki had stolen from Stark Industries had been used as a guide to build this new weapon. Thanos also bought a shipment of vibranium off the black market after the Wakandans curtailed their exports once Synergy shut down.

The longer they stood next to the device, the more nervous Obadiah became, but he wasn’t entirely sure what Thanos was trying to achieve. They had what they wanted; making the device bigger would only destroy everything around it, and not replicate weaponry like Obadiah had originally envisioned.

“How is it on your end?” Thanos asked quietly, never taking his eyes off the device.

Obadiah lingered before acknowledging Thanos. “We have one more closeout meeting with board before Anthony is officially taken off Synergy.”

Thanos grinned, slowly turning his head to look at Obadiah. “Good. Everything is finally going according to plan.”


	42. Chapter 42

“J.A.R.V.I.S., lights.”

The lights flickered on as Tony walked into his home office.

“Also, please send an email to Pepper to let her know I’ll be working up here the rest of the day.” Tony sat down at his desk as J.A.R.V.I.S. turned on his main monitor and the console in the corner of the office.

“Right away, Sir.”

To keep operations at Stark Enterprises hidden from Obadiah during the Synergy closeout, Tony had been working more often in his home office in the penthouse. The office’s software and hardware were protected by an intricately constructed security system that only Tony had the access codes to. Also, if anyone attempted to break into the system, J.A.R.V.I.S. would self-destruct once triggered. However, Tony preempted losing his beloved computer system by creating an encrypted system that was only accessible through Peter’s wristwatch.

Both Rhodey and Pepper were aware that Tony was secretly working on a new Synergy device, but they weren’t aware of the specifics, most notably the location of Stark Enterprises in case the operation was compromised and they could deny culpability. Also, T’Challa had agreed to finance Tony’s new project considering that he still firmly believed in the original purpose of Synergy.

Tony hummed to himself as he filed through his emails, deleting spam and flagging what seemed to be the most important to read later. He read along the list until he found what looked to be early morning spam; the message contained an interesting, yet incomprehensible subject line.

“…what the hell is this?” Tony squinted his eyes as he tried to make sense of the subject line that was merely a string of words scrambled together.

Tony looked around his office as if searching for any clues on how to decipher the subject heading. He then refocused his attention onto the monitor, debating with himself whether he should click on such an email that could possibly contain a cripplingly virus.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Tony kept his eyes on the email, “scan this email sent to me early this morning at 4am…”

“Sir, it appears that the email is free of any potential viruses.” J.A.R.V.I.S. quickly answered.

Tony scrunched up his face, still skeptical about the message. “J.A.R.V.I.S., read me the contents of the message, please.”

“Wr400COS, delph23, epsilon2TAG…” J.A.R.V.I.S. began reading a series of random numbers and functions, but they had no logical order that Tony could understand right away.

“Okay, okay, thanks.” Tony quickly cut J.A.R.V.I.S. off who was still reading the email.

Tony tapped on his desk with one finger as he decided what to do. “Send this to Banner and Shuri. It may help to have some more eyes on this to make sense of it.”

“Right away, Sir.” J.A.R.V.I.S. answered promptly.

Tony frowned at the monitor before checking the time on his wall clock. He had scheduled a meeting with the former Synergy team later that day at Stark Enterprises and Tony needed most of the day to psyche himself up before seeing Steve again.

Ever since seeing Steve in person since their breakup, Tony couldn’t stop thinking about him. After they broke up, Tony suffered through a serious bout of depression that led him to drinking constantly. The episode had happened mostly while Peter was away at a summer camp for a couple months, but Tony had managed to get himself together before the worst happened. During that time, he had also received every single one of Steve’s messages and calls but was too upset with himself and how their relationship ended to answer.

And to add to the pain, about a month ago, before finally deciding to see Steve again, Tony had received his invitation to Shuri’s upcoming wedding with Sam. He had considered not going, but he had developed a close friendship with Shuri outside of work and he couldn’t allow any of his petty drama with her fiancé’s best friend ruin her and Sam’s day. Tony knew it would be tough seeing Steve, even at the wedding, but he also knew he needed Steve on Synergy; he was the one who had worked with the device the most and it was only right to have every single original team member back on the project. Besides, Steve was a consummate professional and would do the best he could do to make Synergy viable again.

Tony had been berating himself every day for breaking up with Steve because he was terrified of ruining their relationship. But something about seeing Steve again gave Tony some much-needed confidence. He decided that he would go the friend route, much like he had the first time he got to know Steve until Steve became more comfortable with him again. Then Tony planned to ask Steve if they could start over and take things slow. Tony even managed to convince himself that he needed to be honest with Steve and finally tell him that he also loved him but was just too afraid to admit it when Steve confessed his feelings.

_That’s still a reasonably good plan…I can definitely do this…_Tony gave himself some more encourage, nodding to himself, becoming more confident with his plan to get Steve back.

_…I mean the way he was looking at me when I was at his office is such a clear indication that he’s probably still interested…_Tony smiled as he thought about seeing Steve at Stark Enterprises, his nerves subsiding somewhat.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Tony shifted his mental energy into work, “could you give me a rundown of my schedule for the next few weeks, please?” He leaned backward in his chair, clicking a pen as he swiveled from side to side.

J.A.R.V.I.S. went through Tony’s schedule until the computer came upon a press event that Tony had forgotten about.

“Ugh, fuck…” Tony interjected.

“Is there an issue with your schedule, Sir?”

Tony shook his head. “No, I just forgot about that fucking press event…” He leaned forward with a groan.

“Yes, the board would like for you to promote your facial alteration device.” J.A.R.V.I.S. reminded Tony.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know, J.A.R.V.I.S.” He groaned again as he leaned back into his chair.

He stared up at the ceiling, now thinking about the time he and Steve went out to Malibu. He laughed as soon as he remembered how terrified Steve was to use the facial alteration device.

_He’s such a baby…_Tony chuckled before straightening up in his chair.

Tony’s mood then fell rapidly as he thought about how hurt Steve looked and sounded the day he had broken up with him and how difficult it was telling Peter that they were no longer together.

_…but I can make this right…_Tony told himself.

He forced himself to dwell on the positives in order to get through work before going out to Queens to meet with the team again.

* * *

_At the end of the day…_

As soon as Tony walked into the main space of Stark Enterprises, he saw Steve chatting with Thor next to a cluster of consoles. Tony clammed up at the entrance, forgetting all that encouragement he had given himself earlier. He stood paralyzed, staring at Steve for some time.

“Hey, Stark!” Clint appeared behind Tony, slapping him on the back as he entered the space, “thanks for getting the team back together.”

Tony barely answered back as he flinched, becoming hyper away that he had been staring at Steve since he entered.

Everyone else in the space greeted Clint, but Tony stayed where he was. Steve looked over at him and smiled a little which didn’t help. Tony waved awkwardly, trying to tell himself to remain as cool as possible before he joined the group.

“Okay,” Tony clapped his hands together to get the team’s attention, “actually, before I start, I should mention that it’s great seeing everyone again.” Collectively, the team happily responded back to him.

As he spoke, Tony was surrounded by the entire team, but he kept his eyes trained on Bruce and Natasha to avoid glancing in Steve’s direction who was now standing in between Clint and Shuri.

“…and as you all know…” Tony walked over to a console, “we’ll need to keep everything Synergy here at this warehouse, Stark Enterprises. Nothing leaves this space. Understood?”

Again, the group agreed with Tony and the state of the project. Tony nodded back as he accidentally locked eyes with Steve. He then physically turned his body to look at Thor who was flanking the group on the opposite end.

“Shuri’s brother is shelling out a shit ton of money to finance this thing, so let’s take every advantage of this opportunity.” Tony managed to wink at Shuri and avoid Steve at the same time.

“My friends, this is quite the glorious endeavor!” Thor rubbed his hands together.

Tony grinned as he pointed at Thor. “Couldn’t have said it better myself, Thor, son of Odin.”

Thor chuckled heartily. “Indeed!”

Tony laughed back before looking at Steve again who looked amused by the back and forth, but his expression short-circuited Tony’s thought process.

“…uh…” Tony struggled as he tried to stay focused, “…um…”

Bruce stepped forward to stand next to Tony. “So how should we go about doing this? I’m thinking we should stay in our original pairs and groups.”

Tony turned to stare at Bruce, now panicking because he had forgotten that he might be paired up with Steve again.

“…uh well,” Tony began, reminding himself of his plan to get Steve back, “I suppose that only makes sense…”

Tony looked at Steve who looked unbothered by the suggestion. Everyone else murmured in agreement with the plan before naturally wandering to their former pairs and groups. Steve lingered as he watched everyone head to their designated spaces in the warehouse.

“Oh, and…” Tony snapped back to attention, “let’s try not to blow ourselves up or get arrested before Shuri’s epic wedding, okay?”

The final quip made everyone laugh before they finally dispersed, leaving Tony and Steve alone: Tony was trying not to look so awkward and Steve appeared to be waiting for him.

“Uh, should we go to our space?” Steve asked, looking behind himself as the group left the main space.

“Yes!” Tony answered way too eagerly as he motioned for Steve to follow him, “this way please.”

Tony walked ahead of Steve out of the main space to one of the smaller spaces attached to it. One of the consoles had the mostly reconstructed Synergy device sitting on top.

“So, how about this, eh? Not too bad, right?” Tony held his hands out as they walked into the space.

Steve nodded with a smile as he walked over to one of the tables to store his workbag.

“Also, try not to touch anything, Rogers. I know how grabby you can get.” Tony teased as he watched Steve unpack his bag before walking over to the Synergy device.

Steve’s expression stayed the same, signaling to Tony that he knew he was joking about Steve’s first day at Stark Industries, but chose not to call Tony out on it. Tony silently gave himself some credit for making a flirty move that wasn’t too overt.

Steve pointed at the device. “I didn’t realize you all were this far along…”

Tony nodded as he joined Steve at the console. “Well, it was definitely easier after the last time we had to rebuild it.”

Steve nodded as he turned to lean up against the console. “Tony, I just wanted to say thank you for including me…”

Tony kept himself from grimacing. “Of course, Rogers. I meant it when I said we couldn’t do this without you…”

Steve nodded again. He kept his eyes on Tony before walking back to the table with his workbag. Tony sighed with relief, thinking Steve was on the verge of bringing up the breakup again.

“Hey, so,” Tony walked toward Steve, but he stopped short, “I know this is kind of last minute, but I’m having a thing at my place this weekend if you would like to stop by…?”

Tony watched Steve stop unpacking his workbag. “Uh—”

“Also!” Tony waved his hands around, “you can bring a plus one—or not! It’s totally cool either way.” He smiled unnervingly at Steve as he told himself to stay calm.

Steve laughed. “Thanks, Tony. That sounds like fun. I’ll be there.”

Tony laughed nervously. “Really? I mean, that’s great. That’s really…great…” He continued to smile at Steve as he backed away slowly before turning around to walk to the Synergy device.

He thought about maybe saying something about their breakup himself, but told himself that that was probably not a good idea, especially while they were working on the new Synergy device. Tony thought maybe he should save that conversation after they had worked together for some time.

“How’s Peter?”

Tony froze. “Uh, well…he’s fine…” He turned around away from the console to see that Steve was looking at him.

“…well…ugh…actually he could probably be better…” Tony laughed lightly as he rubbed the back of his head, “you’ll get to see him at the party…I’ll make sure before he leaves with May…he’s staying over at her place this weekend…”

Steve nodded slowly and Tony feared that they were about to have the break up conversation now. However, Steve only looked at him; Tony could tell from Steve’s expression that he missed Peter.

_Wow…I fucked that up…_Tony cursed to himself.

“It’ll be great to see Peter again. I miss him.” Steve smiled before turning back to the table.

Tony stared at Steve’s back, thankful that the conversation hadn’t take an ugly turn, but was confused by Steve’s behavior. He would have thought by now that Steve would have said something about the way their relationship ended.

“So, uh…” Tony started up, trying to refocus on his plan and Synergy, “I have some things I would like to test out before Shuri and Banner go back to working on the device…”

“Sounds good.” Steve responded without turning to face Tony.

Tony watched Steve shuffle around, setting up his work area like he had his first day on the team. Tony continued to watch, debating whether he should be straight forward with Steve or just stick to his original plan.

_No, just stick to the original plan, Stark. He seems willing anyway…_Tony nodded to himself as he turned to look at a projection of the Synergy device’s vibranium core above a console.

* * *

_That weekend…_

Tony was standing in his bedroom, buttoning the cuffs to his shirt. The last few work days with Steve seemed fine; although the first day was a little awkward, after a while they fell into a comfortable rhythm with each other much like they had when they first started working together. Now, Tony was feeling more confident about his plan and was looking forward to getting some personal time with Steve that night.

“Hi, Tony!” Peter walked into the bedroom before sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Hey, Parker.” Tony joined him on the bed to lace up his shoes.

“Tony, I did my homework and cleaned my room…can I stay at the party later?” Peter asked as he watched Tony finish getting ready.

Tony straightened up with a grin. “Nice try, kid. You were supposed to do that anyway.” He reached over to ruffle up Peter’s hair who groaned over Tony messing up his hair and that his bargaining proposal fell flat.

Tony walked into his bathroom to fix his hair, taking a moment before walking out into the bedroom again.

“So, uh…” Tony stood next to the bed, “Steve’s coming to the party tonight…”

Peter jumped off the bed. “Really?!”

Tony laughed as he motioned with his hands to settle Peter. “Yes. I don’t know when he’ll stop by, but you might get to see him for a bit before going over to your aunt’s. He knows you’ll be here.”

Peter continued to express how excited he was to see Steve again by rapidly listing all the experiments he planned to show him. Tony continued laughed as Peter followed him into the kitchen. Tony waited a moment as he leaned up against the island, watching Peter bounce around with joy.

“…can I show Steve the robot we made? The better one?” Peter asked.

Tony grinned. “The _better _one? Maybe…actually…”

Peter nodded as Tony paused. “…Steve told me he misses you…” He shrugged, not really sure how Peter would take that bit of information.

“I miss Steve, too…” Peter quietly admitted.

_Yeah, I really did fuck that up…_Tony felt horrible on the inside.

“…are you guys getting back together?”

Tony stared at Peter, struggling with whether he should be honest.

“Um,” he now felt like he was on the verge of crying from all the emotions he was beginning to feel, “why don’t you make sure you’re ready to go? Banner and Rhodey are coming over early, so we can hang out with them for a bit.”

“Okay!” Peter jogged out of the kitchen to his room, leaving Tony alone, sulking over Steve and Peter missing each other.

* * *

_A few hours later…_

Soon after, Tony’s penthouse was filled with laughter and music. He had invited his close friends and their significant others, a few business associates, some board members that he genuinely liked, and some other Stark Industries employees. The party was a one off, just something Tony wanted to have for some needed levity as Synergy was being officially closed down.

Tony was standing in a group with Rhodey and Pepper out on his balcony, discussing everything except business. It was nice having such a great group of friends, Tony thought as he listened to Rhodey detail his and Pepper’s vacation plans together. However, listening to his friends made him miss Steve even more, giving Tony more confidence to show how much he cared about him and missed him.

After some time, Tony glanced at the entrance of the balcony, nearly spitting his drink back out into his glass as he spotted Steve entering. He excused himself immediately, walking briskly up to Steve to greet him.

“Rogers!” Tony greeted a little too loudly as he reached out a hand, “glad you could make it.”

Steve smiled at Tony, ignoring his hand to give him a hug instead, causing Tony to melt right on queue.

“Thanks for the invite, Tony.” Steve whispered through the hug.

Tony lingered before gently breaking away. “Ah, well…oh, you shaved your face!” Tony awkwardly motioned with his hands to draw an invisible beard around his own face, “the uh, beard was kind of growing on me…”

The comment made Steve laugh heartily, which then made Tony smile uncontrollably from making Steve laugh.

“Oh, and this is Sharon.” Steve motioned behind himself to a nicely dressed woman that was standing behind them.

Tony stared at Steve before staring at the woman, just realizing that he didn’t even see her enter with Steve while also realizing that they were there together, like possibly on a date.

_What the fuck…? _Tony panicked internally, feeling his fight or flight response kicking in.

Steve wrapped a hand around Sharon’s shoulder as they waited for Tony to say something. Tony gritted his teeth, knowing that he needed to project some sort of composure instead of yelling at Steve for not even telling him that he might be seeing someone else. Tony slowly looked directly at Sharon, flashing his most practiced PR smile all the while his insides were decaying into ruins.

“Nice to meet you, Sharon.”

Sharon nodded, smiling as she firmly shook Tony’s hand. “It’s really nice to meet you, Mr. Stark. Your place is really nice by the way.”

Tony nodded back slowly, still gritting his teeth. He looked at Steve before trying to figure out some way out of the huddle, but Steve reached out a hand to place on his shoulder, rubbing it gently.

“Yeah Tony lives here with his son.” Steve added, smiling warmly at Tony who was screaming on the inside and trying to stay composed.

“Hey, uh, Peter’s still here if you would like to say goodnight, Rogers…he’s inside with May, probably in my office…”

Tony pointed toward the general direction of his office, but Steve laughed. “I know where your office is, Tony.”

Tony shuffled around awkwardly, his mind racing with trying to make sense of everything that was happening in the moment.

"Right, of course."

Steve placed a hand on Sharon’s shoulder, making Tony cringe. “Do you mind? I haven’t seen Peter in a while.”

Sharon shook her head, still smiling. “I’ll be okay.”

Tony laughed nervously. “Yeah, chill, Cap.”

Steve smiled at the two of them, signaling that he knew Tony was just giving him a hard time, before setting off to find Peter, leaving Tony and Sharon alone. Tony looked around, trying to escape but Sharon kept smiling at him.

“Steve!” Both Tony and Sharon could hear Peter happily greet Steve in the kitchen.

“Steve’s really close with my kid…” Tony said out loud, but not really sure why.

Sharon nodded. “We’ve talked about Peter a few times.”

Tony nodded back, nearly half-grimacing. “So, how do you know Steve?” He asked, hoping by some miracle they were just friends.

“We’ve been on a few dates.”

Luckily Tony knew how to retain a pleasant expression as he mentally screamed with anguish and frustration. He felt himself approaching the verge of reacting with anger, knowing he should have never let Steve go and now he was talking to Steve’s girlfriend or whatever because of it, but Tony still wanted to confess his love toward him. Nothing made sense as Tony stared blankly at Sharon who had no idea that she was causing him so much torment.

“…is…that so…?”

Sharon laughed. “Yeah, I guess he never mentioned it. He talks about you all the time.”

Tony’s eyebrows raised, completely surprised that Steve was talking about him while also being out on a date with someone else. It made no sense, but something about it made him feel like maybe Steve cared about him still.

“Oh, well…” Tony added, too shocked to elaborate.

“Yeah, it’s great that you all managed to keep your project going. I hope it all works out…” Sharon offered, clearly unaware of the specifics of Stark Enterprises and Synergy.

Tony felt too overwhelmed to try to escape, now expecting Sharon to also mention that she knew that he and Steve used to date. He waited and waited as Sharon continued speaking, until it became clear that she had no idea that he and Steve had been in a serious relationship.

Tony cringed as Sharon spoke. He could feel himself bubbling with anger over Steve keeping their relationship a secret, now leading Tony to believe that Steve probably thought that what they had didn’t mean anything to him.

Tony clenched his glass to steady himself, interrupting Sharon as soon as she finished a sentence. “Uh, would you excuse me for a second? I see someone I should be coaxing into investing in the company. It was really nice to meet you. Hope you enjoy the party.” Tony spun around to walk away from Sharon before she had a chance to respond.

He searched desperately around the balcony for some escape before seeing Bruce talking to some board members. Tony quickly walked up to the huddle, hooking his arm around his friend’s.

“I need to get the _fuck_ out of here.” He angrily whispered to Bruce as he smiled at the board members.

Before Bruce could answer him, Tony dragged him through the balcony and inside the penthouse to one of the guest rooms. Bruce barely struggled as he was disoriented from being pulled from a conversation so quickly.

“Wait a second, Tony.” Bruce said as he watched Tony slam the door to the guest room before pacing back and forth, “what’s going on?”

Tony shook his head, stopping on the other side of the room with his hands on his hips. He then spun around with an outstretched arm, pointing to the door.

“She doesn’t know who I am!” Tony vaguely exclaimed.

Bruce expressed his confusion. “Who? Who doesn’t know you?”

Tony sighed as he rolled his eyes. “_Sharon_. Steve’s…” He waved a hand around a few times as if that explained who Sharon was while laying heavy emphasis on her name as if it hurt to say it out loud.

Bruce stared at Tony before looking at the bedroom door before looking back at Tony.

“Aren’t you the one who always says you’re not ‘Queen Bay’ famous?”

Tony groaned. “No, Banner. First, it’s Queen _Bey_, and second…” he made another motion with his hands to indicate Sharon and Steve, “she doesn’t know that I used to fuck her boyfriend!” His voice slightly raised with anger causing Bruce to make shooing motions with his hands to get Tony to quiet down.

Bruce shook his head. “Her boyfriend? I’m so confused…are we still talking about Beyoncé?

Tony sighed, hanging his head low. “No, Banner, ugh…Steve…brought a fucking date…”

Bruce’s expression quickly changed. “Shit, Tony…I’m so sorry…”

“Yeah, well…” Tony threw his hands up into the air as he started pacing again.

A knock on the bedroom door caused Tony to stop pacing. It opened slightly to reveal Steve.

“Tony?” Steve walked into the bedroom, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I forgot how big your place was…I thought maybe I missed my chance to talk to you in a non-work setting.” He shrugged, smiling as he put his hands into his pockets.

Tony glared at Bruce before glaring at Steve. “You know, some sort of _courtesy_ would have been nice, Rogers. Especially when you’re coming over to _my _place!”

Bruce shook his head again, reaching out to get Tony to calm down before he said something he would regret. Steve looked back and forth between them, alarmed by Tony’s tone and Bruce’s demeanor.

“Courtesy?”

Tony waved Bruce away as he marched up to Steve. “I cannot believe that not only did you _not_ tell me you were seeing someone else, you didn’t even tell her that you and I used to date, Steve!” He motioned back and forth between himself and Steve.

Steve nodded slowly, hanging his head as his expression changed, betraying that he knew what Tony was referring to.

“Tony, I’m really sorry…but I haven’t mentioned to Sharon that we used to date because she and I have only been on a couple of dates—”

“Oh well, you should really get your stories straight, Rogers. Sharon said a few.” Tony corrected, turning away from both Steve and Bruce.

Steve sighed. “A few, a couple. Does it really make a difference?”

Tony scoffed, keeping his back turned. “A couple means precisely two. If you’ve been out on three or more dates than that’s a few. And several,” he huffed with a slight hand wave, “that’s a _whole _different story!”

“Tony.” Bruce stepped forward as Tony spiraled, but Steve reached out a hand to stop him.

“Bruce, is all right if I speak with Tony for a few minutes alone, please?”

Bruce looked at Tony before slowly nodding. “I’ll just be on the balcony.”

Tony shook his head as he heard the bedroom door close, but he refused to turn around. He was so angry with himself and Steve that he couldn’t even articulate a coherent thought.

“Tony…I’m really sorry that I didn’t tell you that I’m seeing someone…we just started seeing each other this past month…”

Tony shook his head again as he crossed his arms; he was close to tears. “You should’ve told me when I invited you.”

Tony heard Steve sigh. “I know, Tony. I should have, but…” there was a long pause, “…I wasn’t sure if you would even care…”

Something about the tone in Steve’s voice made Tony want to crawl into the deepest hole and die the most painful and loneliest death.

“Why…wouldn’t I care…?” Tony said quietly, fighting back a sob that had formed in his throat.

“…because…you…broke up with me, Tony…”

Tony hugged his body as he felt his eyes well up. He knew he wouldn’t be able to compose himself in front of Steve. There was another long distressing pause as Steve stayed behind Tony and Tony tried to stop himself from crying.

“…I should have handled this better…” Steve offered, “I didn’t realize that this would be such a huge deal…”

Tony sniffled, refusing to face Steve. He knew that if he stayed in the room he would end up telling Steve that he still loved him and that he should have said it the first time or even a long time ago.

“Tony?”

Tony counted to himself while breathing deeply, wiping his eyes as he turned slightly to exit the bedroom.

“It’s okay. Stay as long as you want.” He rushed out of the room toward his home office, leaving Steve in a state of frustration and confusion.

* * *

Steve watched Tony rush out of the room. He wasn’t sure if he should follow him or if he should leave the party. He sighed heavily as he sat down on the edge of the bed, hanging his head low, admonishing himself for not being straightforward with Tony.

_I don’t understand why he’s so upset…_Steve sighed again, frustrated with the entire situation.

Steve knew it would be awkward working with Tony again, but he tried to make the best of it. He thought maybe they could repair their relationship somehow, maybe becoming friends again at least.

Steve groaned, confused about what to do. He had trouble trying to reconcile his feelings toward Tony while also seeing Sharon. And it didn’t help that Tony appeared to be angry with him, although he had been the one to call things off between the two of them.

Steve stayed on the bed, still deciding whether he should leave. After a while, he got up from the bed to walk out onto the balcony. He found Sharon speaking with Natasha, but there was no sign of Tony. Steve told himself that they should probably stay at the party a little longer, just not to make a scene before heading out.

“Hey,” Sharon greeted Steve as he walked up to her and Natasha.

Steve smiled as he awkwardly hugged her. Natasha eyed them both, making Steve feel incredibly anxious. But instead of saying anything Natasha smiled at them before making a move to walk away.

“I should check on Banner.” Natasha motioned with her glass toward Bruce’s general direction before walking away.

Steve watched her as Sharon leaned in close. “The people working on your project are really nice. Tony seems more down to earth than you give him credit for.”

Steve winced, trying not to make the moment any more uncomfortable than it already was. They then walked over to the bar to speak with some more people before calling it night.

* * *

_Later that night…_

_…neither one survived…_

Tony clenched the pillow underneath him, writhing in his sleep. He tossed and turned in the bed as his recurring nightmare about the night his parents died haunted his half sleep. He finally wrenched himself from the nightmare, sitting up in the bed, covered in sweat.

He leaned forward, drawing his knees up to his chest, crying to himself as the memories continued to torture him. The whole night had been a complete disaster.

Earlier that night, Tony had stayed in his office for some time before Rhodey found him. Tony reluctantly explained what was going on and Rhodey managed to convince him to put on a brave face and come out to the party. Tony avoided Steve as much as possible before he left earlier than he had expected, but Tony was relieved that he had; he knew he would end up saying something else that would ruin the entire party.

_Why did I even try…_Tony cried to himself as he placed his head in between his knees. He stayed like this before turning slightly to look at the side of the bed Steve used to sleep on when they were dating.

Suddenly, a flood of tears released themselves as Tony laid down reaching out for the pillow Steve would have been sleeping on if they were still together. He hugged it against his body, too upset to really calm down, and too upset to really sleep. So, Tony just laid in the bed, crying for Steve the rest of the night.


	43. Chapter 43

_The following Monday, early in the morning…_

Bruce sighed as he dipped his eyeglasses downward. “Yeah…I have no idea what the hell I’m looking at, Tony…”

Tony joined him at the console, equally frustrated. Above the console was a projection of the scant amount of information the team knew about Thanos’s weapon. And next to it was a list of the random sequences that had been sent to Tony the past week. Tony and Bruce were at Stark Enterprises earlier in the day to discuss the mysterious email and perhaps its connection to the super weapon.

“Well, that’s a damn shame…” Tony tossed the tablet he was holding on top of the console which caused the projection to pixelate.

Bruce backed away to look at the projection from another angle. Tony walked away from the console, stopping at a table to cross his arms.

“…we need to use Synergy to stop whatever this weapon is capable of…the only thing is if we push the device beyond its current limits to combat whatever Thanos is cooking up, it could make the device unstable even with the vibranium core…”

Bruce turned around to face Tony. “…how unstable do you think?”

Tony sighed. “…well, it could take out more than just a city block…definitely more than a police precinct and the buildings surrounding it…”

Bruce nodded. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that…” he then walked around the console, “but I do think the mini reactor will help somehow if it comes to pushing Synergy to its limits…yet…”

Tony waited before motioning for Bruce to continue. “But, what, Banner?”

Bruce rounded the console to lean against an edge. “Shuri sent me an email last night that she found some obscure notation in your dad’s original schematics that we missed the last pass…she’s not really sure what it means, though…but she’ll explain after she finishes something she was working on all night at Stark Industries.”

Tony nodded before walking back up to the console to retrieve his tossed tablet. As he worked through the data on the weapon, out of the corner of his eye, Tony could see Bruce staring at him worryingly.

Tony groaned, but he kept his eyes on his tablet. “What, Banner? I can see you staring at me.”

Bruce shuffled around before standing still. “…are you feeling any better…you know…from the party…?”

Tony rolled his eyes. He had spent the entire weekend after the party rehashing every single move he had made up until almost confessing to Steve that he also loved him and wanted to start over. However, needless to say, he felt too embarrassed and upset by the way he reacted and to losing Steve to really talk about what happened at the party.

“I really don’t want to talk about, okay?” Tony looked intently at Bruce before looking back down at his tablet.

Bruce motioned with his hands. “Okay, okay. I get it. But I’m here if you want to talk, okay?”

Tony paused before nodding wordlessly, now feeling ridiculous although he knew Bruce was only trying to help.

Hey, Tony,” Shuri appeared in the space, “hey, Bruce.”

Tony turned around, thankful that Shuri was there to prevent any serious relationship conversations that could inevitably ruin the entire day.

“Hey, there’s our star player! Banner just told me you were up all night?” Tony greeted Shuri as she walked up to a coffee maker on a table in the corner of the space.

“Yeah, I was trying to finish reviewing the facial alteration device specs so I could focus on our side project…” she turned around with a cup of coffee, “I took another look at your father’s schematics, Tony…but…”

Tony walked over to stand next to Bruce as they let Shuri mentally gather her thoughts. Shuri sighed as she walked with her coffee mug over to the console to show Tony and Bruce an image of Synergy’s core.

“So…” Shuri zoomed into the image with her free hand, “there’s something about an external device, which I originally thought was just the chip that I embedded the failsafe codes in but I don’t think it applies now…the notation was something about…another function in the device…but I’m not too sure…”

Bruce joined her. “Yeah, whatever he was referring to could be obsolete with this current iteration…”

Tony walked away from them to pace in the middle of the space. “Right…the device works fine without the chip…and we made modifications…but I don’t think constructing another chip will help making it any more stable, especially if my dad was being weird and elusive on the subject, as he was apt to do.”

The three of them stared at the projection for some time before Tony walked up to the console. He swiped away the image of the core to display Thanos’s weapon and the list of sequences.

“Shuri, I know you were busy with that stupid face thing, but did you manage to make any sense of these random numbers?”

Shuri nodded but she winced. “Well…” she used two fingers to zoom into the image of the weapon before enlarging the list of numbers, “there’s a small pattern to these numbers that resembles some coding I found in the weapon…”

Bruce leaned up against the side of the console to look at Tony and Shuri “…the most we know about Thanos’s weapon is that it’s emitting gamma radiation of some kind…”

Shuri turned slightly to acknowledge Bruce. “Correct. And the pattern I found matches those levels…but beyond that, I’m not really sure what I’m looking at, Tony.”

Tony shook his head as he walked away from the console again, pointing behind himself at the projection.

“I know we haven’t heard any rumblings from Thanos and his ilk in a while, but that doesn’t mean he’s not working on this weapon, especially now that we have this random-ass list of numbers…we need to proceed as if he’ll deploy it in the near future.”

The space fell silent as the three contemplated the possibility. After a moment Tony clapped his hands together.

“Let’s keep at trying to figure this shit out…” He walked up to the console before facing Shuri and Bruce, “in the meantime, let’s continue with the modifications we’re making to the Synergy device so we can finish it sooner rather than later.”

Bruce and Shuri nodded before the trio broke up to work in various places in the space. Before walking over to the table she usually stationed herself, Shuri rejoined Tony at the console.

“Hey, Tony, sorry we couldn’t make it to your party over the weekend. Family members are starting to arrive in town for the wedding.” She rolled her eyes.

Tony smiled at her, feeling relieved that Shuri possibly didn’t hear about how he acted at his own party.

“Already? Isn’t a little early?”

“Not for us,” Shuri laughed, “Sam said the same thing.”

Tony chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. You barely missed anything.”

Shuri patted Tony on the shoulder before walking over to her table. Tony watched her before turning to the console, now thinking about how to resolve things with Steve before the latter arrived at Stark Enterprises later that day. He thought maybe he should tell Steve that he wanted to be friends, but he wasn’t sure how to convey that without sounding desperate. Tony mulled over possible entry points of conversation as he went back to work.

* * *

_At the end of the workday…_

Steve unbuckled the strap to his helmet as he dismounted from his bike. He stared at the innocuous warehouse façade of Stark Enterprises, still debating whether if he really wanted or should continue working with Synergy.

Ever since leaving the party, Steve had trouble trying to understand Tony’s actions. His behavior was erratic and too difficult to navigate without causing more problems. Steve knew Tony had issues when it came to relationships, but he found himself becoming less patient as time wore on. Thankfully, Sharon appeared unaware of the drama; they met up once more that weekend to peruse a farmer’s market before eating lunch, but all Steve could think about was Tony.

Steve stayed still before rising from his bike. He sighed, reminding himself that what he was doing was for Synergy and not Tony, before walking into the warehouse. Steve walked pass the main space, seeing Shuri and Bruce working on the Synergy device. He waved at them before proceeding to the space he shared with Tony.

Steve took in a deep breath, seeing Tony with his back turned to the entrance of the space. Steve stopped short before entering, taking another moment before walking over to his table.

“Hey, Tony.” Steve said which made Tony jump somewhat.

“Oh, hey, Rogers. I didn’t hear you come in…” Tony smiled at Steve, but Steve only nodded.

Steve then turned back to his workbag to get his tablet before walking over to a free console.

“Mondays. Am I right?” Tony added.

Steve nodded again before swiping a few times on his tablet, too annoyed with Tony to engage in small talk.

“…uh, thanks for coming to the party…” Steve heard Tony offer awkwardly.

Steve turned to a degree to look at Tony. “Yeah, of course, Tony.”

Tony nodded quickly. “Uh…Sharon seems nice.”

Steve stared at Tony before looking back at his tablet, trying not to become more frustrated with Tony bringing up Sharon.

“Yeah…she said she had a good time…”

“…and…uh, sorry…” Tony took a step toward Steve, “…for giving you a hard time…at the party…”

Steve lingered. “Tony, it’s fine. Let’s just drop it, okay?”

Tony nodded quickly again as he waved his hands around. “Yep! You’re totally right!”

Steve turned his back so he could focus, trying to remain calm. But as he finally settled, Tony interrupted his solitude again. He appeared next to Steve, slightly behind him.

“So, uh…do you remember…or you probably don’t…which is fine…” Steve listened as Tony rambled.

He turned around to look at Tony who looked conflicted. “…but do you remember the night you first…spent the night over at…my place…?”

Steve’s expression hardened, instantly feeling himself losing control over his emotions. “Of course, I do, Tony.” He answered sternly.

Tony nodded before he hung his head. Steve watched him, struggling to keep his anger in check.

“Well…I just wanted to say…uh…”

“Tony, don’t do this,” Steve interrupted him, “you _know_ I’m seeing someone else right now.”

Tony shook his head. “I know that, Steve. I’m just trying to say—”

“Tony! Stop!” The sudden rise in Steve’s voice shocked himself and Tony.

Tony stared back at Steve as Steve walked away from him. “I’m trying to be patient with you, Tony, but you’re really driving me to the edge.”

Tony nodded slowly. “I’m sorry, Steve. I’m just trying to talk about you and me, that’s all—”

Steve had turned around to hold up a hand. “There’s no ‘you and me’, Tony. _You’re _the one who broke up with me, so I don’t really understand why you’re acting like you want to fix things between us. It’s too late.”

Tony shook his head as he walked toward Steve. “Steve—”

“We’re not friends, or even beyond that,” Steve angrily cut Tony off, “we’re barely work colleagues, okay? I’m here because of the team and Synergy, _not_ you…” He pointed in Tony’s direction who only stood staring back at him.

“…so, please, if you don’t mind, if you have _anything_ you would like to discuss with me, keep it to Synergy, all right? You had your chance to explain yourself, but you blew it. I’m not discussing it with you, okay?”

Steve’s last comment sucked all the air out of the space. He glared back at Tony, feeling a strange mix of emotions he hadn’t felt since they broke up. But after what felt like forever, Steve turned away from Tony, walking to his table, yet he was too angry to work.

After another minute of awkward silence, Steve sensed that Tony had left the space. Steve sighed heavily, placing his hands on the table to brace against. Now he was definitely sure he couldn’t stay working on Synergy with Tony.

* * *

_Later in the middle of the week…_

Through his usual press daze, Tony finally entered the main part of the mansion, descending the grand staircase. He looked around, smiling for everyone as they noticed his arrival. His smile was on autopilot; he felt empty inside having to put on a show for the company and with Steve possibly present. For the presentation on Tony’s facial alteration device, the board had rented out space in the upper East Side in an historic house with a few restored balconies. The board had invited everyone in the industry, including members from the former Synergy project.

Tony glanced around the space until he spotted Rhodey and Pepper speaking to one another with a board member on the opposite end. He shrugged before grabbing a glass of water off a nearby server’s tray. As he made his way over to Pepper and Rhodey, Tony turned around again to make sure Steve wasn’t around, feeling himself relax a bit more.

_Maybe he won’t show_… Tony hoped. Steve blowing up on him earlier in the week was still weighing heavily on his mind and he couldn’t focus.

Ever since that day, Tony had either worked from home or in Bruce’s space at Stark Enterprises. He was too shocked by Steve’s reaction to face him.

But just as Tony’s body began to feel at ease, the string quartet began playing a version of “Mishima”. Only a few seconds in and Tony spotted Steve descending the staircase. Tony’s body seized almost immediately; for some reason he couldn’t move or really speak. He kept watching Steve, completely paralyzed.

_…he’s alone…?_

“Tone!”

Tony nearly dropped his drink as Rhodey walked in front of his view of Steve, “Pep sent me over here to get you ready for the presentation. Are you ready or just daydreaming?”

Tony blinked a few times as he reoriented himself, trying not to look past Rhodey to see where Steve had gone.

“Uh, yeah.” Tony finally focused his attention on Rhodey who was trying to direct him in the direction of the temporarily built stage for the presentation. Tony let Rhodey guide him toward the stage, all the while he was becoming nervous that Steve was there.

“Okay, Tone,” Rhodey was pointing behind himself as Tony looked around anxiously, “Pep’s going to get everyone’s attention before you go up…”

Tony nodded but his attention was divided between the ridiculous presentation he was about to give and worrying about Steve. He waited with Rhodey by the stage as Pepper talked for a minute before motioning for Tony to join her. Everyone began clapping and cheering as Tony walked onto the stage, waving awkwardly, too self-conscious knowing that Steve was in the crowd but he couldn’t see him because the lights had been dimmed for the projections to be visible.

Tony patted Pepper on the shoulder as she handed him the microphone. Tony took a moment before flashing a smile at the crowd as a projection showing a series of a diverse set of faces filled the space.

“I know what you’re all thinking…” Tony started as he looked out into the crowd, “how can anyone change their genetic makeup?”

Tony stepped a foot forward as the faces filling the space morphed into new faces. “But at Stark Industries, we’ve done just that…”

The crowd around the stage audibly “ooed” and “awed” as the faces changed again.

Tony held up a facial alteration device, just one of the few he and Shuri had constructed to test out before the press event.

“…imagine the possibilities…” Tony waited for the faces to change again, “medical, military, perhaps cosmetic?” Tony winked at the crowd which earned him a spate of laughter.

“…with this tiny sleek device, the Stark Facial Converter, one could more than alter their face, they could become—”

As Tony spoke, he accidentally locked eyes with Steve who was standing close to the stage. He looked like he was enjoying himself, sipping out of a glass as Tony gave his presentation. Something about seeing Steve’s face in an otherwise dimly lit crowd almost made Tony forget his lines.

“…uh, become…a different…person.” Tony finally finished which prompted everyone including Steve to clap after the presentation.

“But alas, I think I’ve been talking for too long…” Tony joked as he motioned at the crowd, wrenching his eyes away from Steve, “please enjoy yourselves the rest of the night.”

Tony waved before walking quickly off the stage handing the microphone to Pepper. Both Rhodey and Pepper were trying to talk to him about how great the presentation was, but Tony needed some space. He nodded as he listened, but he could feel his chest restricting, almost as if he were close to fainting.

Finally after Pepper made sure to remind Tony that he needed to mingle with some investors, Tony was able to free himself from his friends, making a beeline for one of the bar counters that was less frequented. He asked the bartender for a glass of water before leaning against the counter, trying not to look like he was about to have a heart attack.

After some time, Tony finally calmed down, but all he could think about was how angry Steve was with him. He waited for some time, making sure Steve was out of view before talking to a few people, but before he could completely relax, Sam settled next to him.

_Oh great…_Tony thought instantly. Tony knew it would be awkward seeing Steve’s best friends again, but he thought he wouldn’t have to deal with speaking with either Sam or Bucky until the wedding.

“Oh, hey, Sam…” Tony greeted.

Sam nodded before turning around with a drink. “Great presentation, Tony. And this space really worked well with the faces.”

Tony nodded, smiling a little. “Well, thanks for coming.”

The two grew silent for a moment, but Tony could see Sam staring at him as if something was bothering him. Sam then looked around before inching closer toward Tony to lower his voice.

“…I shouldn’t get into the middle of it…Shuri told me to stay out of it…but I feel like I need to say something…” Sam began.

Tony sighed as he turned his head slightly to face Sam who was looking downward at his drink.

“Sam, please. I don’t really want—”

“Steve still talks about you _all_ the time. It’s been a little less since he started seeing Sharon, but I can tell he misses you, Tony. You really did a number on him.” Sam explained quietly.

Tony’s eyes went wide with surprise. He had come to terms with never getting Steve back or even being friends again, but the argument with Steve confused him.

“Seriously?” Was all he could muster as he tried to make sense of everything.

Sam slowly nodded. He looked around them again as if to make sure Steve wasn’t nearby. “Yeah, Tony. I thought you guys were going to get married. Definitely before Shuri and I…I’ve never seen Steve so serious about someone before and that’s saying a lot.”

Something about Sam’s last comment made Tony feel emotional again, just as emotional the day he broke up with Steve. He nodded, not really sure what to add.

“…uh…” Tony looked around, “I’m going to get some air…”

Sam nodded again, but Tony could tell from his expression that he was genuinely concerned. However, Tony barely responded as he said goodbye before walking out onto one of the balconies.

Tony settled as soon as his body made contact with the railing. He looked out beyond the balcony, wallowing yet again in his misery.

“I can tell you don’t want to be at this press thing, Tony…but I think the presentation went well…”

Tony sighed loudly, hanging his head, taking his time before turning around to acknowledge Steve. Steve was standing at the entrance to the balcony, leaning to the side of the opening with his hands in his front pockets.

Tony half grimaced, but he only crossed his arms before shuffling around a little, feeling uncomfortable while trying to figure out how to escape the balcony without resorting to scaling the walls.

“Is this official Synergy business, Rogers?” He tried for an assured tone, but his voice cracked a little.

Steve shrugged, still leaning. “No.” He answered sternly.

Tony scoffed before turning around to look over the balcony again. “Then I guess we don’t have anything to say to each other.”

Absolute silence fell between the two before Steve joined Tony at the balcony. He kept his distance, but he was close enough to Tony to keep his voice low.

“Tony, please stop doing this…”

Tony rolled his eyes before he looked at Steve. “Rogers, I’m not the one who said we were barely work colleagues.”

Steve sighed heavily before moving away from the balcony. “There was a reason why I said that to you, Tony…” he paused, “…you brought up the night we almost slept together for first time…”

Tony spun around to face Steve while in the process of remembering all the little details about that night. Tony had only brought up that night because he had talked about his relationship with his father with Steve.

“What?” He answered, a little stunned.

Steve inhaled then exhaled deeply. He turned slightly away from Tony. “If you hadn’t stopped us, we probably would have had sex. Don’t tell me you don’t remember that.”

Tony made a face before looking down at his shoes. It was true that if he hadn’t stopped them, they probably would have slept together that night. But it wasn’t as if Tony had forgotten that crucial piece; he was more fixated on being open finally with someone about his dad.

“You’re right. And I do remember…” he admitted, “I just…when I said that to you in the lab, I wasn’t thinking about after we talked. I was more focused on the fact that you’re the first—only person, besides my therapist, that I’ve talked to about that shit, you know, the shit with my dad.”

Steve hung his head, sighing to himself again. “…I understand, Tony…really I do…and I shouldn’t have raised my voice and I should have chosen my words more carefully, but, Tony, of all the things to bring up? And, I know I already said this, but you know I’ve been seeing Sharon—”

“Steve, I really don’t want to talk about you and Sharon, okay?” Tony groaned loudly before Steve could punctuate the end of his sentence. He spun around to look over the railing again.

Steve waited a minute before he joined Tony at the railing. He let Tony settle before continuing. “Tony, I’m not talking about Sharon…I’m talking about you and me…” He explained quietly.

Tony stared at Steve before turning slightly to hide his expression which had twisted up with his emotions. They stayed like this for some time, with Tony struggling with whether he should just give up and leave.

“…could…we start…over, Tony?” Steve voice grew quiet, “…I really miss spending time with you…I also miss spending time with Peter…I just want us…to be friends again…”

Tony craned his neck to look directly at Steve who looked solemn. He didn’t realize how much he missed Steve until it was too late. But maybe trying to be friends again would work out for them in the future. Tony thought about his plan again as Steve waited for a response. He thought about what Sam said and he thought about the way they were before they broke up.

“…uh…” Tony started, “…I would…really like that…Steve…” Being with Steve was what he wanted, he just needed to work for it again.

Steve smiled slightly before breaking out into a restrained laugh. Tony stared at him until he started laughing along. Steve stopped laughing to smile as he looked back at the inside of the mansion.

“I think you sold everyone with your presentation, Tony. But the faces were _kind of_ creepy.”

Tony chuckled as felt himself finally gaining control over his emotions and feelings toward Steve.

“The presentation would have been better if I had you up there with me, Rogers. You could tell everyone that the thing isn’t that bad once you give it a try.” He winked at Steve.

Steve laughed nervously. “Well we’ll have to keep that to ourselves.”

Tony nodded as he continued to smile at Steve. They looked at each other before Steve motioned toward the inside.

“Wanna go back inside? I’m sure everyone is wondering where you went.”

Tony nodded as he followed Steve. “Maybe, Rogers. Although I’m trying to leave as quickly as possible…so over this press shit. I need a serious nap.”

The comment made Steve laugh as he let Tony walk ahead of him, and Steve laughing made Tony’s face turn red from how much better he was beginning to feel.

* * *

_Later that night…_

Obadiah whistled loudly as he shut the front door before strolling to the sitting room in his penthouse. He had purposely missed the press event that evening to secretly review some contracts he was hoping to bid on for Thanos’s device.

He took off his shoes before turning on one of the lamps. But as soon as he turned to sit down, the dim lighting from the lamp illuminated two figures standing next to his fireplace dressed in PPE coveralls. Obadiah nearly had a heart attack before he realized that the two intruders were Thanos’s daughters, but then his heart rate elevated once more as he realized that they were both brandishing hand guns with silencers attached.

“Uh…nice to see you two ladies on such a lovely evening…” Obadiah managed as he straightened himself out.

Gamora motioned with her silencer for Obadiah to sit. “Mr. Stane, please sit down.”

Obadiah looked back and forth between the two women, hesitating.

“She said,” Nebula wedged herself into Obadiah’s personal space, “sit _the fuck_ down, Stane.”

Obadiah promptly sat down on the couch without further hesitation.

Gamora waited as Nebula rejoined her by the fireplace. “My father wanted us to thank you for your help. Despite all the setbacks, he wouldn’t have gotten to where he was without your…assistance.” Nebula smiled at Obadiah who looked too shocked to respond.

“But,” Gamora pushed herself away from the fireplace as she walked up to Obadiah, “I’m afraid your tenure with us has come to an end.” She then pointed her silencer to the middle of his forehead.

Obadiah’s mouth dropped opened, bobbing open and close for some time as he tried to mentally parse through the situation he had found himself in.

After a second, Gamora’s hand looked to be on the verge of squeezing the trigger, sending Obadiah into a wave of panic.

“Wait!” Obadiah shrieked, “your father is still having trouble trying to figure out that notation, right?”

Gamora and Nebula barely responded as they only glared at Obadiah.

Obadiah took a deep breath. “Let me take a look at it…I remember Howard talking about something a long time ago that may shed some light…”

Gamora squinted her eyes before looking back at Nebula who only rolled her eyes. Gamora then looked back at Obadiah before lowering her silencer.

“Excuse us.” She motioned for Nebula to follow her into Obadiah’s kitchen.

“What do you think?” Gamora leaned in to whisper as soon as they were out of ear shot.

Nebula rolled her eyes again. “My only is opinion is that we finish the job we came here to do in the first place, Gamora.”

Gamora shook her head. “There’s a possibility that he knows what he’s talking about.”

Nebula groaned. “Are you serious? He’s saying that to cover his ass.”

Gamora shrug. “Maybe…but do we really want to take that chance? It may help father build the weapon he wants.”

Nebula scrunched up her face before looking back toward Obadiah’s direction. “Fine…” she slowly turned to face her sister, “but you’re the one who’s going to tell father that you didn’t follow through.”

She spun around quickly to march out of the kitchen with Gamora following closely behind. Nebula walked up to Obadiah, holding her silencer out.

“You have one _more_ chance. After that, you’re done. Understood?”

Obadiah nodded quickly. “I completely understand the ramifications—”

“And shut the fuck up! You are _so_ annoying,” Nebula cut Obadiah off as she turned to address Gamora, “this is your mess.” She pointed at her sister before marching out of the sitting room and out the penthouse.

Gamora turned slightly to look down at Obadiah who still looked terrified. “Figure out that notation or you won’t even see us before we kill you. Got it?”

Obadiah nodded quickly again as he watched Gamora follow Nebula. Gamora closed the door to the penthouse, waiting a moment before joining her sister. She then pulled out her phone before looking through her sent messages, finding the list of sequences she had sent Tony a while back.


	44. Chapter 44

_About a week and a half later…_

Loki groaned loudly once he saw Thor approach his small table on the sidewalk next to a café. The two hadn’t seen each other for about a month now and sporadically since the Synergy program had been officially abandoned. However, Fury had been intermittently tracking Loki and Dr. Selvig as part of S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol.

“Loki.” Thor greeted curtly, sitting down in a tiny chair opposite his brother that creaked underneath his weight.

Loki rolled his eyes as he sipped from his expresso. “What do you want, brother? I have things to do today.” He was annoyed that Thor had called him out of the blue to talk later that early afternoon but had been cryptic on the phone.

Thor leaned inward as his voice dropped. “Loki, I do not understand the animosity you have toward me…we have not spoken in a such a long time…” His expression was calm, yet poignant.

Loki sighed as he placed his tiny cup on its saucer, shrugging. “I don’t know, Thor._ Maybe_ it’s because you keep treating me like a criminal.”

Thor stared at Loki before shaking his head. “Please be honest with me, Loki…please.”

Loki scrunched up his face, turning away to look at nothing before looking back at Thor who looked so solemn that it made him want to gag.

“I already told you and the Synergy goons what I know.” Loki answered sharply.

Thor straightened up in his chair as he decided on his next move. Ever since the lab explosion, Thor had an inkling that maybe Loki had something to do with it. Although he hadn’t heard from Loki in a while, ever since the team had received the list of mysterious numbers and figured out a possible connection to Thanos’s weapon, Thor knew he needed to try a different tactic with Loki to get him to talk. He knew he had been too harsh with him in the past.

“Loki…I know…you had something to do with the lab explosion…” Thor explained quietly, never taking his eyes off his brother.

Loki scoffed as he leaned inward slowly, grinning slightly. “Oh yeah? If you’re _so_ sure, why haven’t you turned me in? That was like a fucking year ago, Thor. Where’s your evidence?”

Thor sighed as he hung his head. “I thought I could reason with you before speaking with Fury…you doctored security tapes once, so I know you were capable of doing it again…”

Loki stared at Thor for what felt like an eternity before breaking out into a high-pitched maniacal laughter, shaking the tiny café table with him. Eventually his laughter subsided as he stared off, looking at nothing again.

“I_ already_ told you all that you have no idea what you’re dealing with…so I’m not saying anything.” Loki turned to face Thor, “Thanos is more dangerous now than he’s ever been. You really think I’m going to risk my life to help you?” He turned in his chair, appearing close to leaving.

Thor shook his head as he reached out a hand across the table to stop Loki from leaving. “Then help us. If you fear for your safety—” Loki groaned, but Thor pressed on, “the best thing you can do is help us track Thanos down before he _does_ do something dangerous.”

Loki let out a curt laugh as he took his time looking back at Thor. Thor was looking at him with a sincere expression again that made him roll his eyes but he couldn’t help being somewhat moved by his brother’s persistence, probably a remnant from their childhood before he found out that he was adopted.

“Loki…please…you can help us.” Thor pleaded once more.

Loki sat back in his chair, tapping on the table as he pondered the idea. Some minutes passed as Thor waited calmly for Loki and Loki fought with himself internally.

“…you have to promise me _better_ witness protection or whatever…” Loki demanded, although he had no leverage this time.

However, Thor didn’t care. What was important was uncovering what Thanos was up to and the Synergy team needed all the help they could get.

“As long as you’re honest and cooperative this time, Loki. What happened in the lab cannot happen again, understood?”

Loki sighed as he slowly nodded. “…okay…fine…what do you want?”

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Tony frantically chopped an onion into perfectly sliced rings before throwing it onto a serving plate.

_How am I good at chopping up an onion but I can’t really chop or cook anything else…?_ Tony wondered as he threw some more ingredients onto the plate before jogging it over to the island. He then backed away from the island, pacing back and forth in front of it.

_I can’t believe I agreed to do this…_

Also, while preparing the food, Tony had been grappling with himself over whether he should tell Steve about what happened after they broke up. He stopped for a second to stare at his phone which was sitting on top of the island next to the meal he had spent all morning preparing for himself and Steve.

_And possibly Sharon…ugh…I should call him to cancel…this is such a bad idea…_

“Sir, Mr. Rogers is in the lobby.” J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice suddenly appeared, causing Tony to yelp dramatically, realizing he had lost track of time.

Tony closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S.” He answered back with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He gave himself another moment before walking to the foyer to greet Steve at the elevator.

After the press event, Steve had surprised Tony by actually following through with the two of them spending more time together to work on their friendship. They had made plans one afternoon while working at Stark Enterprises, but Tony was still conflicted: although he felt that maybe somehow he could get Steve back, it seemed as if during their conversation Steve was truly looking for a friendship and that maybe his relationship with Sharon was leaning more toward the serious side than anything causal.

_…but then why would he still be talking about me, especially around her…?_ Tony questioned, thinking back to his conversation with Sam at the event as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

_…also, I know absolutely nothing about her…_He waited anxiously for the elevator to arrive, now fidgeting with various items that decorated the space in front of the elevator entrance.

After a few minutes, the elevator chimed with arrival, causing Tony to yelp again. He then commanded himself to chill out, running a hand through his hair a few times before standing right in front of the elevator. The doors opened, revealing Steve who was smiling, but Tony could tell that he was also nervous.

“Hey, Tony…” Steve waved at Tony before quickly shoving both hands into the front pockets of his pants as he walked into the foyer.

Tony nodded as he backed away awkwardly to give Steve some space, suddenly remembering that this would be the first time Steve visited him at his place since the party.

“H-hey, Rogers…” Tony kept backing away until Steve stopped about a foot in front of him.

Steve looked around, waiting for Tony to walk him further into the penthouse, but Tony just looked past him expecting to see Sharon waiting in the elevator.

Steve expressed his confusion as he followed Tony’s gaze with his eyes, looking behind himself at the elevator before looking back at Tony who also looked just as confused.

“Uh…” Tony began slowly, “…no Sharon…?”

Steve looked back at the elevator again before turning to face Tony; his expression becoming even more perplexed.

“Sharon? Why would Sharon be here?” He took a step toward Tony as he spoked, causing Tony to quickly move to the side.

Tony recoiled as he walked behind Steve back toward the elevator, watching Steve turn around to face him.

“Well…I just figured…” Tony looked down at his shoes before looking back up at Steve, “…when we last spoke, I just figured you would have brought her along or something—” he stopped himself as he waved his hands around, “which is totally fine with me, by the way!” Tony ended by looking everywhere except at Steve as he could feel his face becoming flush with embarrassment.

Steve crossed his arms, still expressing his confusion with Tony’s statement. Tony backed away again almost up against the elevator, now angry with himself for bringing up Sharon again when he and Steve were trying to repair some semblance of a relationship.

“Tony…” Steve uncrossed his arms as he approached Tony, eventually meeting him at the elevator. He stopped right in front of Tony before gently placing his hands on Tony’s arms. Tony freaked out internally as he looked slightly upward at Steve, not entirely sure what to expect.

“Uh…” Tony began as he felt Steve rub his arms, “…I’m trying to be that person who’s cool with their ex seeing other people…is it working?” He smiled awkwardly as he was beginning to feel empty inside.

Steve laughed quietly as he stopped rubbing Tony’s arms to squeeze them tenderly. “Tony, don’t you think we should work on our friendship first before all of that? It’s important to me to make sure you and I are good…”

Tony nodded before looking away, feeling his face turn even more red as he could feel Steve staring down at him.

“…uh…yeah…” Tony managed, “…I guess that makes sense…”

Steve held his gaze toward Tony before finally letting go. Tony almost let out an audible sigh of relief from being that close to Steve for the first time in such a long time. Steve backed away an inch as Tony coughed before motioning toward the kitchen.

“I, uh, tried making lunch…hopefully I don’t kill you…” Tony attempted to tease, but the joke sounded stilted.

But Steve laughed anyway as he waited for Tony to walk past him and into the kitchen, following closely behind.

“Also…” Tony started up again, feeling some sense of further relief, “I’m sorry Peter isn’t here today…I’m never going to hear the end of it when he gets back home tonight.”

Steve chuckled as he watched Tony walk up to the island. “Maybe…we can find some time to spend together…the three of us I mean…maybe next weekend?” He stayed near the entrance to the kitchen before joining Tony at the island, “…well…I guess I don’t know what your plans are…”

Tony nodded as he pulled out a stool to sit at the island across from Steve. “Ah well…I think we could manage something….” He smiled at Steve before standing up quickly to walk to the counter, “I should probably have some plates and shit out, sorry about that…”

Steve chuckled again as Tony clumsily opened a cupboard to retrieve dishware and flatware, finally deciding that he should be honest with Steve about what happened to him after they broke up.

After placing the plates on the counter, Tony turned around to lean up against the counter. “Uh, Steve…I need to tell you something…”

Steve looked back at Tony, already expressing concern. Tony sighed loudly, struggling on how to begin.

“Okay…” Steve responded as he waited for Tony, slowly dragging the word out, clearly fearing the worst.

Tony shuffled around a few times, choosing to just come out with it. “I…after…we…broke up…I, uh…” Tony stopped to rub the back of his head before he continued, “…I had some issues…”

Steve nodded slowly, still waiting for Tony to finish his thought.

Tony shuffled back and forth on his feet again as he crossed his arms. He looked away from Steve, closing his eyes before slowly opening them to look directly at Steve.

“…I stopped drinking so much…because…I sort of went on a…bender…after we broke up…”

Steve’s expression hardened as Tony pushed himself to continue. “Peter was at one of those sleepaway camps I usually send him to during the summer…so I was totally alone which made the obvious depression I was suffering through so much worse…”

Steve’s eyes widened; Tony had never seen him looked so terrified. “Tony…” Steve shook his head, “…why didn’t you call me?”

Tony stared back at him, too shocked to really answer. His mouth bobbed open a few times as he tried to comprehend Steve’s reaction.

“Well, uh…what?”

Steve shook his head again as he slowly rose from his stool at the island. He walked toward Tony but stopped short.

“Tony, you should have called me. I called you so many times…I left you so many messages…you should have called me, especially since this was happening.”

Tony stared at Steve before looking away again, feeling his eyes well up with tears. “I couldn’t, Steve…”

“Tony…I really…don’t understand…” Steve paused, “…why you don’t…trust me…”

The comment forced Tony to stare at Steve. His eyes were already red from the small pool of tears forming.

“…Steve, I don’t…trust myself…”

Both Steve and Tony went silent as the traces of Tony’s reasoning hung in the air, building toward some tension Tony wasn’t entirely sure he was mentally or emotionally prepared to confront. Steve nodded slowly, but his expression was still very much concerned. He looked like he was about to reach out for Tony.

“Tony, if we’re going to be friends again…I need you to give yourself more credit, okay?” But Steve backed away to stand nearer to the island instead, “whatever happened between us in the past stays there, okay? That’s only way we’ll be able to make this work.”

Tony looked at Steve, thankful he didn’t try to hug him, before looking away once more, sighing heavily. He wanted to believe Steve that this could work, but the reason they were in the mess they were currently in was because he got scared and ran away. He wanted to tell Steve that, especially in light of what Sam told him at the press event, but Steve was with someone else and he was right when he had told Tony he had missed his chance to make things right.

“Tony?” Tony could see Steve watching him as he internally debated with himself, “I really want us to make this work.”

Tony sighed as he looked down at his shoes. His original plan to get Steve back before he found out about Sharon sounded so ridiculous now that Steve had mentioned on more than one occasion that he just wanted to be friends. He felt stupid for even thinking it was a possibility.

…_I don’t know if I can even be friends with him…_Tony told himself as he looked back at Steve who was still standing near the island.

But having Steve around was what Tony wanted. He couldn’t stand being apart. “Okay…” Tony finally gave in, “you’re right, Rogers…”

Steve’s expression changed quickly as he smiled back at Tony which prompted Tony to return the expression, albeit timidly and through waves of pain.

Tony took his time rejoining Steve at the island, and they ate for some time before Steve took a moment to speak up.

“This is really nice, Tony.” Steve offered, smiling at Tony.

Tony nodded. In the moment it was nice, but this wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Steve, the way they were before.

“…uh, yeah…it is…” Tony lied before switching the conversation to Synergy and Peter.

* * *

_Later in the work week…_

Steve moved from side to side before turning his back to look at himself from behind in the mirror. He was wearing one of the new safety uniforms Tony had created.

_…I guess these aren’t too bad…_He thought to himself as he turned again to face the mirror from the front.

Steve stared at himself a little longer before reaching for his workbag which was sitting on top of the sink. He rummaged around until he found the old chip with the failsafe codes to the Synergy device.

Lately, ever since they started working on their friendship, Steve had been thinking about whether he should tell Tony that he had kept the chip. During one workday afternoon, Steve remembered Tony vaguely explaining that the modifications to the Synergy device had made all the old components obsolete, so he wasn’t sure if it would even help.

_…besides I was supposed to get rid of it…_Steve reminded himself.

He looked down at the chip in his hand, turning it around and around like he usually did whenever he took a moment to look at it. He then looked up at himself in the mirror, his expression changing somewhat as he unzipped the front breast pocket to his uniform to place the chip inside.

_…I guess it doesn’t hurt holding onto it a little longer…just in case…_Steve took one last look at himself before walking out of the restroom which was not too far away from the space he share with Tony at Stark Enterprises. He approached the entrance, feeling awkward about wearing the suit out in the open like that, before entering the space.

Tony was standing at a console but had turned around to face the entrance at the same time Steve had entered.

“My god, Rogers…” Tony stopped in his tracks as a smile crept onto his face, “this uniform looks so good on you!”

Steve blushed as he took his time walking up the console Tony was standing next to. “Can’t you have someone else model the uniforms? I feel like a huge dork.”

Tony chuckled as he walked around Steve to look at him from behind. “But you did such a great job last time.”

The comment was met with a period of awkward silence as it conjured up the memory of Steve and Tony having sex after the first time Steve modeled the team uniforms for him. However, Steve wasn’t sure if Tony had realized what was his comment was alluding to, so he shrugged it off.

“Jesus, Rogers. I can’t believe I’m about to admit that the last safety uniforms did _absolutely _nothing for your ass.” Tony persisted.

Steve blushed as he turned to face Tony, trying to remind himself that Tony’s personality was inherently flirtatious.

“Can I take this off now?” Steve smiled nervously.

Tony laughed as he walked past Steve to get to the console. “Not yet, Cap. I need to calibrate the suits before testing it with the system software. Just hang tight.”

Steve sighed as he nodded, joining Tony at the console. He watched Tony work quickly and effortlessly; the numbers and sequences showing the calibration raced up a projection above the console.

“Have you considered what Thor said about Loki?” Steve asked quietly.

Tony shook his head. “I don’t want Loki _anywhere_ near Stark Enterprises. Especially with Thanos still on the loose.”

Steve nodded, knowing that Tony wouldn’t allow any more room for debate. “So, uh…,” he coughed as he continued watching Tony work, suddenly feeling his heart race, “I know you said you needed to figure out what your plans were for this weekend, but would you and Peter like to come over to my place for dinner?”

Steve watched Tony turned slightly to look at him out of the corner of his eye. “Uh, yeah, I think that’ll be okay…” he laughed quietly before looking back at the projection, “you don’t have weekend plans with Sharon?”

Steve winced before settling, confused as to why Tony kept bringing up Sharon when he had thought he had been clear before.

“I’m allowed to have other plans, Tony.”

Tony chuckled as he threw his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, just making sure we’re not stepping on any toes…”

Tony reached for a tablet before walking around Steve, tapping on it as he inspected Steve’s suit. Steve’s face reddened as Tony looked all around his body, tapping on his tablet as if being this close didn’t bother him.

“Okay…” Tony started, “everything is more or less in the same order as it was before. I wanted to also make sure that the suits were able to play music with this current setup because that’s the most important feature.” He grinned at Steve.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Tony, are you serious? I really doubt playing music while we work is the most important thing.”

Tony laughed at Steve, waving a hand before turning to face the console. “I can’t work unless I’m listening to music, just trust me on this, Rogers.”

Steve sighed as he pointed back to the entrance of the lab. “May I please take this off now?”

Tony waved him off again with a smile. “Yeah, sure…”

“…oh and…” as Steve turned to exit the space, Tony continued, “how’s Saturday then? Is that okay for dinner?”

Steve stopped to address Tony, turning slightly. “Uh, yeah, sure. That sounds great.” He watched Tony give him a thumbs up before he quickly walked out of the space to head toward the restroom.

* * *

_That Saturday evening…_

Steve was leaning up against the wall to his apartment building, waiting for Tony and Peter to arrive. He knew he should wait inside like people normally did whenever expecting a guest, but he was too excited to see Peter and, for some unexplained reason he wasn’t ready to deal with, Tony.

“Steve!” Steve smiled as soon as he heard Peter shout his name down the street. He could see Peter getting out of a car with Tony closely behind.

Peter jogged toward Steve, carrying a giant bowl covered in saran wrap. Tony caught up with him, taking the bowl so that Peter could greet Steve without losing the dish they brought for dinner.

Steve crouched down before receiving a hug from Peter who nearly toppled them over from the force of the hug.

“Hey, Peter.” Steve gave Peter a tight hug.

“Hey, Rogers.” Tony greeted with a smile as he waited for Peter to get out of the way so he could also greet Steve.

Steve stood up and instinctively pulled Tony into a hug, which was awkward from start to finish. Both lingered longer than either thought they should while also realizing quickly that that was the first time they had hugged each other in a long time.

Tony coughed before releasing from a full embrace, but he kept a hand on Steve’s arm while holding the saran wrapped bowl. Steve kept both hands on Tony’s waist.

“Steve!” Peter interrupted, tugging on Steve’s pants, “we brought a salad!” Peter pointed to the dish Tony was holding.

Tony laughed nervously as he finally let go of Steve. “I thought a salad would be the easiest thing to contribute to a meal that will be no doubt delicious.” He grinned at Steve.

Steve laughed back as he reached for the salad. “Thank you. That was really nice of you both.”

Steve then guided Tony and Peter into the apartment building and up to the unit. They settled in the kitchen talking about the week as Steve finished plating dinner.

After some time, the uncomfortable feeling that had been between Steve and Tony when they first started spending time together again disappeared finally. Steve was beginning to feel the same way he had when he used to have dinner with Tony and Peter during most of the week and when he had stayed with them while he was recovering from surgery.

But of course, he still wasn’t mentally prepared to deal with this surge of emotions; he kept telling himself that their relationship was just repairing itself.

“…Ned and me are going to enter the robot in the science competition.” Peter explained. He was sitting close to Tony at the table in the kitchen.

Tony smiled. “Ned and _I_,” he first corrected with a wink, “they have an age restriction at Peter’s school for this competition, but this thing the boys managed to put together is better than what I’ve seen the older kids do.”

Steve smiled at Peter who was now turning red from the attention, but before he could contribute, they heard the front door unlock to the apartment.

“Yeah, you should try anyway, Peter.” Steve answered as he waited for either Bucky or Sam to appear in the living room.

“Oh hey!” Bucky was standing in the threshold of the kitchen to the living room, “it looks like I’m missing a party.”

“Hey, Bucky. It’s nice to see you.” Steve watched Tony get up and greet Bucky.

Bucky then leaned against a counter, smiling at both Tony and Peter before looking directly at Steve.

“Hey, Cap. Can I speak with you for a quick sec, please?”

Steve nodded before following Bucky out into the living room, but the latter motioned for him to stand further away out of ear shot of Tony and Peter.

“Steve…” Bucky began, grinning widely, “who would have thought that _you _would be the one stuck in a love triangle?”

Steve’s eyes widened from the accusation. “Buck, what the heck are you talking about?”

Bucky laughed quietly as he pointed back toward the kitchen. “Why are you spending a _Saturday_ night with your ex and his kid when you _just_ started seeing someone else?”

Steve made a face, but he looked away from Bucky, turning red from the insinuation. “There’s nothing going on, Buck,” he then faced Bucky, “Tony and I are just friends. Besides this is mostly for Peter than anything else.”

Bucky eyed Steve before laughing again. He patted Steve on the shoulder. “Yeah, _okay_. You guys act like you used to be married,” he chuckled loudly before walking away from Steve to get to his bedroom, “I’m going out, but don’t wait up for me unless you and Tony have more plans later.” He added before closing the door to his bedroom.

Steve’s face expressed his horror as he stared at the bedroom door. _I really don’t know what he’s talking about…_Steve lied to himself.

He hung his head before looking around back at the kitchen, hearing Tony and Peter laughing together. He looked back at Bucky’s bedroom door, debating with himself whether he should further explain his intentions with Tony to Bucky, but he knew his best friend would see right through that.

_But what?_ Steve caught himself. What was there to hide? Steve was genuinely trying to work on his friendship with someone he cared about. And he was close with Peter, so it was also important for Steve to see him.

Steve looked around aimlessly, trying to convince himself that that was all there was to it before joining Tony and Peter in the kitchen again.

* * *

_The next day…_

Steve had called Tony that morning to see if he was free to grab coffee. And of course, Tony was both elated yet confused by the call. Dinner the night before had been really nice, so nice that it was easy to forget that he and Steve were no longer dating.

_…but it’s just coffee…_” Tony reminded himself as he walked into the café, seeing Steve already seated at a table near the back.

Steve saw him enter and waved with a smile. Tony waved back before walking over. Steve rose from his seat to give Tony a hug that was less awkward this time.

“Ugh, I need this coffee to focus on some work I need to finish before the week starts…” Tony groaned as he settled in his seat.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked as he watched Tony stretch.

Tony let out another groan as he stopped stretching. “Eh, I’m just having some trouble sleeping.”

Steve nodded slowly before pointing to the counter. “I hope you don’t mind, but I put in an order for you…I just got what you usually ask for…” he laughed nervously, “unless it’s different now, of course.

Tony was sure he looked taken aback by Steve’s action, but it made him smile slightly. “Well, uh, thanks, Rogers. I can’t believe you remember something like that…”

Steve shrugged. “I know you like the more fancy drinks once in a while, but it’s Sunday and I figured you would probably want the usual…”

Tony tried not to eye Steve suspiciously. Remembering how he takes his coffee wasn’t something Tony was expecting from their burgeoning friendship.

But Steve didn’t seem to notice as he began talking to Tony about Synergy and Sam and Shuri’s upcoming wedding. They talked for some time before Tony thought he should ask about Sharon to ensure Steve that he was trying at their friendship, although it still hurt to know that he most likely missed his chance with Steve.

“So…tell me more about Sharon…all I know is that she likes parties.” Tony teased.

Steve’s cheery disposition changed as he looked away before looking back at Tony. “She’s great…uh…she works in Manhattan at the public defender’s office…that’s how we know each other…uh…that’s really it…”

Tony nodded, sensing that the topic was too uncomfortable for Steve to continue, but he did anyway.

“I…uh…really enjoy spending time with her…but…I’m just taking my time, you know?…it’s important for me to feel close enough to really be vulnerable...I’m just making sure I’ll get there eventually…” Steve looked downward before leaning back in his chair.

Tony, without really considering the consequences, seized the opportunity as he thought back to the memory of Steve saying something similar to him a long time ago.

“Uh…did you…uh, ever feel…like that, uh, when…you were with me…?” Tony asked quietly.

Steve’s expression slowly betrayed his discomfort. His face turned red as he looked away from Tony again.

“Um…” Steve started.

Tony, suddenly realizing that he definitely messed up again, jumped up from his seat pointing toward the café counter.

“Uh…I’ll go get our coffees…”

Tony spun around quickly to walk up to the counter, swearing to himself. As soon as he paid for their coffees and turned toward their table, he could see Steve walking up to the counter.

Steve reached out for his coffee. “I think I’m going to head back home, Tony. There’s something I need to finish for a case before the weekend ends…” He turned toward the exit without letting Tony respond.

“Oh, uh…” Tony quickly followed him out of the café, reaching out a hand to stop him, “Steve, wait. I’m sorry.”

Steve sighed as he turned around to face Tony. “Tony—”

“I’m trying to be that older, wiser friend…” Tony let go of Steve to wave his free hand around as he laughed nervously, “well, maybe not so much the wiser part…actually could we forget I said anything about the older part as well?”

Steve still looked uncomfortable, but Tony continued. “Look, Steve…” he paused, “I mean it when I say I want us to be friends…I really do…” He nodded as he stared back intently at Steve while also trying to tell himself that.

Tony watched Steve eye him as if he didn’t believe him, but finally he nodded back. “I’m sorry…I guess I’m just trying to get use to this…” Steve responded quietly.

Tony nodded; thankful he didn’t screw up again. He pointed back toward the café. “Can we drink our coffees together and talk about the weather or sports?” He joked, which made Steve laugh a little.

Steve nodded. “I think we’re better at conversation than that, Tony.” Tony laughed as he let Steve walk ahead of him into the café.

Tony followed Steve, now more determined than ever to make Steve more comfortable around him again, maybe to the point where he could make things right between them.

_…I can do this…_Tony tried again as he joked with Steve before sitting down at their table.

* * *

_A few days later…_

Loki sighed as he hung his head. He was standing in front of the Synergy team at Stark Enterprises in the main space.

“I was…the one who set off the explosion in the lab—”

“You did _what_?” Tony had lunged toward him but both Steve and Thor managed to catch him before he could grab Loki.

It took some convincing, but Thor had persuaded Tony to let Loki meet with the team. Thor and Clint had blind folded Loki about an hour ago before escorting him to the premises so he was unaware of the location of the new lab.

“You almost killed someone!” Tony was now struggling against Steve, “do you know how many lives you put in danger?!”

“I’m so sorry, but I want to help, for real this time.” Loki pleaded as he backed away from Tony’s thrashing.

“Fury’s been tracking Loki and Selvig on and off for months, but,” Natasha stepped forward to point defiantly at Loki, “we _know_ what you’re capable of. Thanos has been using you to evade detection this entire time. How can we take your word that you’re no longer working for him?”

Loki shook his head as he bumped into the console behind him. “I’m not…he cut ties with me a long time ago…but it wasn’t just me with the lab explosion…”

Tony tried to wiggle out of Steve’s grasp, but the latter was stronger than him. “It_ was_ Obie, wasn’t it?” He finally broke away from Steve, marching up to Loki, “he was the one who let you into the building and the lab, didn’t he?”

Loki shook his head. “I-I…can’t say…they’ll kill me if I say—”

“What?” Tony got into Loki’s personal space, “what the fuck are you talking about? If you’re not working for Thanos, then you can tell us who’s been involved.”

Loki gulped as he watched Steve place a hand on Tony’s shoulder to pull him back to his side. “They’re getting rid of dead weight…that’s why I can’t say anything…they have spies everywhere…”

Everyone else looked at each other before Steve turned to face Tony directly. “Tony, what do we do? This is serious.”

Tony gawked at Steve. “I am well aware, Rogers.” He tried to walk past him, but Steve wouldn’t let him by.

“Did Selvig send you these sequences?” Loki asked quietly as he pointed to a projection above the console which displayed the mysterious set of numbers. Clint walked up to the console to wedge himself in between it and Loki. Loki scoffed, clearly offended, as he turned around to face the rest of the group.

“No,” Tony angrily responded, “Selvig’s been cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D. since the damn tapes. And _not_ blowing up labs. Someone else sent me these numbers in an encrypted email.”

Loki turned slightly to face the group, but he didn’t respond right away. Everyone looked back and forth amongst themselves then back at Loki, waiting for anything.

“…he’s escalating…” Loki began to explain, “…only the people closest to him would have this information…if they sent _these_ sequences…then…”

Loki’s comment made everyone pause as they watched him then turn around to stare at the projection. After a minute of painful silence, Loki turned to face the group again, but his expression looked panicked.

“…he’s going to use his weapon before long…we’re going to have to do something soon before it’s too late…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> Just a heads up about the next chapter: I may be a little late...it’s my birthday next Sunday and I have some other things to work on/things to be at, but I should be able to post on schedule! It just might be later in the day then around the early afternoon. 😅😅😅
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	45. Chapter 45

“Welp…” Clint leaned up against the console as the rest of the team silently absorbed Loki’s ominous comment, “we’re fucked.”

Tony shook his head as he marched away from the group to the other side of the space, feeling the walls collapsing in on him as he wrestled with trying to figure out what to do next.

“Tony,” Bruce called from behind, “we need to figure out something quick. We can’t sit on this.”

“I know, Banner,” Tony shook his head again, trying to focus, “give me a second.”

Forget losing control of the original Synergy project; this impending crisis was now becoming the nightmare Tony had been dreading the most and there seemed to be no clear path ahead of him. Needless to say, as Tony quickly came up with a feasible game plan, there was too much on the line to make a snap decision in the heat of the moment.

After finally processing the situation, Tony spun around to face the group who had gathered nearer toward him, all waiting anxiously for any response.

“Romanov and Thor,” Tony physically pointed at both Natasha and Thor, “if you don’t mind, _please_ escort Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s headquarters. Fury will know what to do with him in the interim.” He ended with his tone sounding especially irritated.

Loki panicked, gaping at Thor who only shook his head. Natasha nodded at Tony sternly before taking a firm hold of Loki’s arm.

“Hey!” Loki struggled against Natasha, attempting to wiggle free but she was stronger than he had anticipated, “I’m trying to help! I swear to god I told you all what I know this time!”

Tony stepped forward as he watched Thor and Natasha manhandle Loki out of the space. “You’re helping by going to S.H.I.E.L.D. _and _staying there until we figure out a plan.” He waited for Thor and Natasha to leave with Loki before turning to face the remaining group.

“Shuri and Banner, how much more time do we need to finish reconstructing the device?”

Shuri and Bruce looked at each other, both appearing anxious and exhausted, before answering. “Maybe another few more weeks…” Bruce sighed, “…possibly a month at the latest…”

Shuri nodded wearingly. “It’s almost ready, Tony. We just need to make sure we have the appropriate safeguards set in place.”

Clint took a step toward Tony to turn and face the group slightly, stretching a hand out. “Okay, so I get all that,” he interjected before Tony could respond, “but is there something we can do in the meantime? I don’t think I need to remind everyone that we’re dealing with a dangerous nutjob.”

Bruce shook his head with another sigh. “I’m not entirely sure what else we can do at the moment…” he turned to face the console that displayed the list of sequences related to Thanos’s weapon, “…Tony and I already discussed this, but if we push the device past its current limits, it may end up being more destructive than Thanos’s weapon. We can’t afford any mistakes since the stakes are so high…”

“What about the mini reactor?” Steve added, “can that help somehow?”

Bruce shook his head again as he turned to face the group directly. “We embedded new scaling configurations into this newest version of the reactor…so long story short, it’ll let the device emit a reactionary blast if compromised before self-destructing as a last resort, but we’re having trouble trying to control the extent of the possible damage…the original schematics aren’t entirely helpful…so we can’t do much without completing the installation of the newest safeguards. The core keeps the device stable enough to use it for its original purpose, but as we’ve seen in the past…”

He paused for a few seconds, hanging his head before looking back up at the group again, “…that doesn’t mean much if there’s something counteracting it in the first place…especially with whatever Thanos is trying to accomplish.”

“So…” Clint glanced back and forth at Bruce and the group, “in non-nerd speak, we’re fucked either way?”

Bruce sighed as he rolled his eyes. “Yeah it doesn’t look good.”

Clint nodded before shrugging. “Well, it was nice knowing you guys.”

Steve turned to face Tony. “Dr. Thanos might use his weapon in less than a month, Tony…we have to let people know…maybe the government could issue a lock down—”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute…” Clint interrupted, appearing to add something profound to the conversation, “what about Shuri’s wedding?”

Shuri shook her head. “We can cancel that, Clint. Maybe a government lock down is a good idea, just in case…”

Soon after, everyone else except Tony began debating with each other over how best to proceed sustaining an attack from Thanos. As the cacophony of voices rose, Tony felt like his head was on the precipice of splitting in two while his chest felt like it was close to imploding.

“Hold on everyone! Chill for a sec…” Tony held his hands out to get everyone to stop talking all at once, “Of course I don’t want to tell you what to do, Shuri, but I honestly think cancelling the wedding would be a mistake…”

Tony walked up to the console projecting the information on Thanos’s weapon before turning to face the group again.

“…we should go about our days as if we don’t know about the list of sequences or how potentially dangerous Thanos’s weapon is becoming. Thanos will no doubt get suspicious and do something drastic if he thinks we’re onto him…until the device is finish, that may be our best bet.”

“Actually, that may work…” Shuri added before pausing to pose thoughtfully, “since the device is easily portable, we can take it with us to the resort and work on it during some down time…we don’t need the lab amenities to finish this last phase…and if it comes down to it, we can come back into the city if the worst happens…my brother’s resort isn’t too far away from here…and I’m sure he can get us back out quickly.”

The team looked at one another before slowly nodding or verbally agreeing with Shuri’s suggestion.

“That sounds like a plan to me,” Tony added before pointing in Clint’s direction, “Barton, go with Thor and Romanov to S.H.I.E.L.D. We may need more eyes on Loki…I don’t buy that he’s telling us everything.”

Clint nodded back at Tony before hustling out of the space. Tony turned to face Shuri and Banner. “Banner and Shuri, just keep doing what you’re already doing.”

Both Shuri and Bruce nodded before circling the main console. Tony waited a second before walking out of the main space to head to the space he shared with Steve. As he entered, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“This is such a fucking mess, Rogers…” Tony sighed deeply before turning to face Steve.

Steve nodded, but kept his hand on Tony’s shoulder. Tony felt him rub it gently, a move he had trouble processing after having learned that Thanos was close to deploying his weapon soon.

“I think you’re right that we should go about this as if we’re unaware…” Steve said quietly, inching closer to Tony while keeping his hand on his shoulder, “…at least we won’t be far away from the city for the wedding…”

Tony nodded as he swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat from his emotions wreaking havoc on his psyche.

“I, uh, should have Fury send S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to Stark Tower in the offices and labs at Stark Industries…and of course at May’s…” Tony’s voice cracked as he thought about trying to keep Peter safe from all of this.

Steve nodded again, squeezing Tony’s shoulder before letting go. “I think that’s a good idea…”

Tony looked up at Steve slightly before turning away somewhat. He gathered himself before pointing aimlessly at a console in the middle of their space.

“I’m going to stay late and try out somethings…then probably help Shuri and Banner…” Tony said quietly.

Steve nodded once more. “Would you like for me to stay? I just need to get some case files from the office.”

Tony considered it before shaking his head quickly. “No, it’s okay. Remember, nothing out of the ordinary.” He cracked a worried smile that fell flat with Steve.

Steve stared at him intently, making Tony feel anxious, before turning to exit the space. “Okay, just call me if you need anything, okay?”

Tony nodded as he watched Steve leave the space, grappling with balancing his swarm of feelings before calmly walking to the console to work for a few more hours.

* * *

_Later that night…_

Tony tossed and turned in his bed.

_…I don’t know why I’m trying to sleep when the end of the world is near…_He groaned to himself has he covered his face with a pillow.

Tony groaned loudly into the pillow before turning over onto his side. Earlier that evening, he had updated Fury on the situation with the Synergy device. Some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had been dispatched to the Tower in the labs, Pepper’s place and May’s. Tony had also sent Peter over to May’s thinking it would be safer for him to be there, but that only exacerbated the feeling of loneliness Tony had been wading through all night.

He turned once more onto his back, thinking about everything before remembering that Steve had told him he could call him if he needed anything. Tony knew Steve was most likely referring to Synergy, but it felt like after spending more time together again, Steve was also offering in terms of rebuilding their relationship.

Tony turned onto his other side to grab his phone that was on the bedside table, before turning back onto his back again. On top of worrying about Thanos’s next move, Tony was struggling with deciphering Steve’s intent. Steve appeared more comfortable around him lately, even after Tony had ghosted him for a year and had kept him in the dark about his battle with depression.

_…also…that weird thing about Sharon…it sounds like they’re not that serious…_Tony thought back to how elusive Steve had been about Sharon every time Tony mentioned her.

_…or maybe he doesn’t want me to feel bad…?_ Tony groaned loudly, slamming his face with a pillow again.

After some more internal debating, Tony removed the pillow to look at his phone. This was the most he had ever been confused about a relationship with someone he genuinely cared about: Steve kept telling him that he just wanted to be friends, but he was spending more time with him and Peter when Tony thought he would have been using that time to get to know Sharon more since they had just started seeing each other.

Tony sighed before turning onto his back, pulling up Steve’s contact information which had migrated from his favorites then back within the last couple weeks. Tony inhaled then exhaled deeply before tapping on the phone icon next to Steve’s name. It rang once.

_…he’s probably sleeping or_— Tony panicked as the phone rang a second time, irrationally thinking that Steve might be in bed with Sharon although he had just spent the last few minutes convincing himself that their relationship wasn’t serious.

_…fuck…_Tony groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead before attempting to end the call. But before he could, the phone stopped ringing to indicate that Steve had picked up.

“Hey, Tony. Are you okay?” Tony’s eyes widened as Steve’s voice materialized.

“Uh, hey, Rogers…” Tony dragged out, “…are you, uh, busy?” He asked, praying Steve wasn’t about to tell him he was with Sharon.

“I was just reading before calling it a night…trying to keep my mind occupied…are you all right?” Steve repeated.

“Uh, no, not really…” Tony quietly admitted, and thankful that Steve was alone, “I can’t sleep…also Peter’s over at May’s, so I feel like I’m being crushed by utter loneliness…” He laughed, but it hurt.

“Well, I don’t mind talking to you Tony until you feel tired…” Steve offered, “actually…if you want…you can come over and we can talk in person…or I can come to you? I think I need the company, too…or whatever is fine…I just know how difficult it is for you to sleep sometimes, so I’m sure everything that’s happening is only making it worse…”

Tony’s eyes widened even more as he felt like his brain and heart were about to explode. “Uh, well…are you sure…?”

Steve laughed. “Yeah, Tony. Bucky’s not here, so feel free to come over if you want.”

Tony sat up straight in the bed, looking around his bedroom before nodding. “Uh, sure! Yeah just give me a minute. I’ll let you know when I’m close to your place.”

Steve laughed quietly again. “Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.”

Tony waited for the call to end before launching himself out of the bed to quickly find some clothes. He jogged into the kitchen to search for his keys before tripping over himself to put his shoes on as he jogged to the elevator.

But as he approached, he stopped for a moment, suddenly realizing what all of this could mean.

_…maybe their relationship isn’t serious at all…because why would he invite me over to his place so late if it was…?_

Tony ruminated on the possibility before pressing the button to the lobby.

Less than forty-five minutes later, Tony was at Steve’s, standing in the middle of his living room, looking at Steve before looking at the couch, not really sure where to sit. Steve seemed unaware of Tony’s internal dilemma as he motioned for Tony to sit with him on the couch.

“Oh!” Steve sat down before getting back up again, “do you want anything to drink?”

Tony shook his head as he slowly sat down on the couch, hyper aware of how close he would be to Steve.

“No…I’m good, but thanks…”

Steve nodded before joining him on the couch. “I’m sorry you’re having trouble trying to sleep, Tony…” He offered as soon as he made contact with the couch, now sitting very close to Tony.

Tony sighed before hanging his head. “Yeah, well, at least it’s for a better reason this time…” He joked.

“Tony, that’s not funny…” Tony knew Steve knew he was referring to his recurring nightmare about the night his parents died, “…but I know you’re just trying to make light of the situation…”

Tony turned his head to look at Steve who was expressing his sincerest concern. That was something about Steve that Tony had always appreciated: Steve was aware of his issues but chose to stick around anyway.

_…well until I fucked that up…_Tony sighed internally.

“We’ll get through this, Tony…” Steve continued, reaching out to pat Tony on the shoulder much like he had earlier that day and many times before. This time Tony didn’t hesitate, in fact he leaned in toward Steve.

_…yeah, Tony…_Suddenly the conversation Tony had had with Sam at the press event popped into his head.

_…I thought you guys were going to get married…I’ve never seen Steve so serious about someone before and that’s saying a lot…_

Steve held onto Tony’s shoulder a moment longer, now rubbing it. Tony turned his head more to look at him; it had been a while since he had seen Steve like this: concerned for his wellbeing while also offering intimate physical comfort.

As they sat in silence, Tony replayed the last few interactions he had with Steve since they started spending more time together. Something about Steve willing to start over and the revelation that maybe he wasn’t as serious with Sharon led Tony to believe that maybe he could jumpstart his romantic relationship with Steve again. Or at least find some sort of relief in a very emotionally charged moment he hadn’t felt since the first time they kissed.

Tony looked back up at Steve before leaning in more, wavering a bit before placing a hand on Steve’s knee.

“…so…uh…” Tony started, looking down at his hand which was now on top of Steve’s other hand before looking back up at Steve, “…it doesn’t sound like you and Sharon are serious…”

Tony stared directly at Steve whose facial expression had changed, but Tony couldn’t get a read on how he was feeling, so he pressed on anyway.

“…what if we, tried…” Tony shrugged as he moved his hand inward across Steve’s thigh toward his crotch, “maybe—”

“Tony.” Steve yanked himself away from Tony, “you _can’t_ be serious.”

Tony’s eyes widened, realizing that he had gone too far this time as he watched Steve rise quickly from the couch.

Tony moved toward him. “Steve, I—”

“I asked you over here, Tony, because I know you have trouble sleeping.” Steve turned around to look directly at Tony, “you know me…why…why would you _ever _think I would do something like this?” He crossed his arms against his body as Tony felt like crawling into a small, dank hole.

“I-I…Steve…” Tony reached out toward Steve before shrinking back into the couch, “…I’m sorry, I just thought—”

“That I would fool around with you while I was seeing someone else? Tony, do you not know me at all?” Steve’s expression was harsh as he spoke, so harsh that for a second Tony barely recognized him.

Tony shook his head, but he stayed on the couch. “No, Steve. I mean, I do know you…this whole situation is so fucked up…I just really miss you—”

“You _miss _me?” Steve repeated, “Tony, how many times do I have to remind you that you broke up with me. I don’t understand why you keep doing this. You _know_ this isn’t meaningless to me!”

Steve backed away from the couch as Tony stood up. Tony walked toward him, but Steve kept backing away.

“I thought that, or…ugh…” Tony shook his head again as he tried to figure out what to say without further ruining the night, “it’s not meaningless to me, Steve…I’m…I’m just so fucked up right now, but we’ve always clicked when we were together…even through the rough times…and I haven’t been with anyone since you…” Tony trailed off as he rambled, not really sure how to explain himself.

“I think you should leave.” Steve responded sharply as his voice lowered.

Tony reached out a hand toward Steve as he took another step toward him. “Steve—”

“_Please_ leave, Tony.” Steve repeated, his tone the severest Tony had ever heard it be.

Tony nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat before quickly walking to front door, opening it and then nearly slamming it behind him as he ran to his car, trying to calm down so he could drive.

However, as he sat in his car, trying to start the engine, a flood of tears rushed out and Tony sat, beside himself, angry for ruining his only chance with Steve.

* * *

_The following day…_

_…but I can’t leave this project…_

Steve had been debating with himself the entire ride from his law office to Stark Enterprises over how he should deal with Tony and Synergy.

He was suffering from lack of sleep and had almost called in sick at the public defender's office. As his mind raced since Tony left last night, Steve came to the realization that he had gotten too close to Tony since they started spending more time together, too close to the point that for a brief moment when they were on the couch, Steve had considered accepting Tony’s advances.

Steve sighed as he hung his head, still mounted on his bike. He had to finally admit that he had been sitting on his emotions for too long, pushing them down, lying to himself that he was trying to repair a friendship with Tony for Peter’s sake. When in reality, he missed Tony, too.

_…ugh…I think Bucky was right…_

Yet something about Tony going straight to the possibility of sex instead of apologizing for treating him the way that he had confused Steve about what to do next. Tony had broken up with him; he was the one who ignored him. Why should he forgive Tony so quickly after what had happened between them?

_…I should just go home…_Steve berated himself as he dismounted from his bike.

He thought maybe he could have a conversation with Tony about the way he had acted the night before but was afraid that the conversation would escalate beyond repair. He was also afraid he might beg Tony if they could get back together, but Tony’s actions suggested that he wasn’t willing to seriously commit, especially after trying to make a move on Steve while he was seeing someone else.

_…ugh…but I really miss him…_

Steve sighed as he slowly walked into Stark Enterprises, making his way to the main space to find Bruce working alone. Steve walked ahead to the space he shared with Tony, but it was empty. Steve glanced at his wristwatch before he looked around, turning to walk back to the main space.

“Hi, Bruce.” Steve stayed near the entrance of the space as Bruce turned around from a console.

“Hey, Steve.” Bruce smiled at him as he walked forward.

Steve coughed before pointing back toward his space. “Uh, is…Tony…coming in today?”

Bruce shook his head. “He didn’t call you? He’s hanging out at home today.”

Steve nodded slowly, strangely feeling half relieved, yet half frustrated.

“Uh, everything all right?” Steve looked up to see that Bruce had been watching him closely.

Steve sighed as he shook his head. “No…well…it’s just…it’s…” He tried to get the words out, but everything about the situation with Tony and Synergy was strangling his thought process.

Bruce nodded, sighing as he removed his eyeglasses. “You know, Steve…I’m trying to stay out of it…but for what it’s worth…I thought you and Tony were great together…I always told him that…”

Steve opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t. After a moment of trying to prevent himself from unleashing on Bruce everything that had happened between him and Tony since they started speaking again, Steve only nodded.

“I…I think I’ll just go back to my office then…” He pointed behind himself, turning slightly so that Bruce couldn’t see how emotional his expression was becoming.

“Okay…” Bruce answered, “if Tony comes by, I’ll just let him know.”

Steve nodded quickly again before rushing out of the space and the building. He stopped short before mounting his bike, trying to calm down before he rode back to his office. For the first time in a long time, Steve could feel his emotions gaining the best of him and he struggled to think clearly. Eventually after some time, Steve managed to calm himself down enough to drive back to his office before going home later that afternoon.

* * *

Steve sighed as he tapped his phone in his hand a few times; he was sitting on the edge of his bed thinking about what to do. He had to make a choice: even though their relationship had ended poorly, seeing Tony was important to Steve, but the way Tony was last night without owning up to his past actions dredged up old feelings Steve had thought he had dealt with.

Steve also enjoyed spending time with Sharon, but they hadn’t gotten to that point in their relationship where Steve could see a future commitment. Sure, they always had a nice time whenever they met up and Sharon was easy to talk to, but Steve didn’t feel the same way around her the way he had with Tony, although Steve had been lying to himself that he would eventually get there.

However, when they broke up, Tony had made it clear that he and Steve weren’t right for each other. Steve had truly thought that he and Tony would get married and become a family and it hurt thinking that everything they had gone through didn’t appear to mean anything to Tony, especially with the way he had been so blatant last night.

Yet, despite all of this, Steve remembered the good times with Tony which outweighed anything else. He also never felt close to anyone like he had with Tony; Steve could be vulnerable with Tony. Tony was there for him when he needed him. They had always been there for each other.

_…I know he broke up with me because he thinks he’s a terrible person…but he’s not…_

Steve stopped tapping his phone in the palm of his hand, staring at it before pulling up Sharon’s contact information.

* * *

_About an hour later…_

As soon as Steve entered the café, he spotted Sharon sitting at a table in the front corner of the shop. She saw him immediately as he entered, waving with a smile. Steve smiled back awkwardly before joining her. As soon as he reached the table, Sharon got up from her chair to give him a hug before sitting back down.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” She asked, folding her hands on top of the table.

Steve sighed, knowing he needed to get to the point. “Sharon, I’ve really appreciated our time together,” he began slowly, “but—”

“Is this about your ex?” Sharon interrupted, but she sounded calm.

Instead of responding right away, Steve only stared back at her, too shocked to elaborate.

“…um, yes…” Steve finally answered, “but—”

“Steve, it’s all right,” Sharon laughed quietly to herself, but to Steve she didn’t seem upset, “I don’t know if he said anything to you…but Bucky said something to me about him…just how close you guys were before you broke up…I think he just wanted me to be aware…”

_Bucky said something about Tony?_ Steve wondered to himself, trying to calculate when Bucky would have had the opportunity to do such a thing.

“…I think he and I talked back when we first went out…” Sharon explained quietly, “he didn’t tell me anything specific…he just mentioned that you guys had been serious…”

Steve stared back at her unable to contribute before Sharon continued, shrugging. “…I gathered a bit that maybe it was tough for you to talk about…because you haven’t really talked about your last relationship…but then I kind of put two and two together and figured that maybe it might had been Tony…you talk about him and his son a lot…”

Steve sighed heavily as he hung his head. “…I’m so sorry, Sharon…I should have been more straightforward with you from the beginning, but I really thought I was over Tony…or even ready to move on…I…,” Steve paused, “…I don’t think I’m in the position to be dating anyone at the moment…”

Sharon nodded slowly before reaching out a hand toward Steve. Steve stared at her hand before letting her take a hold of his.

“Thank you for telling me,” Sharon started, smiling somewhat, “and I had a really nice time with you, too, but I understand. And I also think we’re probably better as friends.” She patted Steve on the hand before gathering her things.

Steve nodded. “Uh, yeah, I would like that.”

Sharon smiled at him as he watched her leave the table before leaving the coffee shop.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Steve sighed once more as he tapped once on his phone to pull up Tony’s number. He waited for what felt like a century until he finally tapped on the icon next to Tony’s name to call him. It rang twice before a weary sounding Tony answered the phone.

“Hey, Rogers…you had me worried for a bit…”

Steve took a moment before answering. Although he was still frustrated with their current relationship, it was always nice hearing Tony’s voice.

“…I’m-I’m really sorry about last night, Steve…that won’t happen again…” Tony started back up, “…but I wasn’t sure I would hear from you outside of work…you know since I can’t seem to keep my hands to myself…”

Given the tense situation, Steve couldn’t help but laugh; something about Tony’s personality shone through the uneasiness in their relationship.

“…hearing you laugh definitely assures me that I didn’t completely fuck up…” Tony added.

“Tony…” Steve started, feeling Tony smile through the phone, “…so Sam and Shuri are having a thing a couple days before the wedding…it’s for the bridal party…but we can bring a plus one…” He squeezed his eyes shut as he waited for Tony’s response, now instantly regretting his proposal.

The other end of the receiver went absolutely quiet as Steve waited for Tony to answer him, the tension becoming unbearable as the silence grew longer.

“Uh…are you asking me to go to this thing with you before the wedding…?” Tony finally answered back.

Steve shrugged. “Yes?” He had meant for his answer to sound more definite, but he couldn’t really gauge Tony’s response.

“…well…um…” Tony stumbled, making Steve feel even more anxious, “…a-are you sure…?”

Steve hung his head as he tried to come up with a good reason. “Yes, Tony.”

Another pause. “…uh, okay…that’s really nice of you considering…but uh…” Tony’s voice trailed off.

Steve shook his head as he sat up straight. “Tony, it’s okay if you don’t want to go…I understand.”

“No, Steve, you just caught me off guard, that’s all…so you’re…uh…not bringing Sharon…?”

Steve sighed. “No…we’re not seeing each other anymore.”

“…um…I-I'm so sorry, Steve…it wasn’t…uh, it wasn’t because of…me…right…? Because I’m really sorry—maybe you can talk to her—”

“No, Tony,” Steve shook his head again, “I’m just not ready to be in a relationship right now…I told her that…”

Another pause lingered on for a few seconds. “…ah well…so you’re…not upset with me?”

Steve inhaled deeply. “No, Tony…I just want to move on…okay? So, do you want to go?”

Tony chuckled, but he didn’t sound as jovial as usual. “Uh, yes. Definitely. I’ll check with May if she can take Peter a few extra days before the wedding, but yeah, that should work out.”

Steve smiled a little too wide, too astonished that Tony had said yes, but that he also sounded a little excited.

“…I mean I would never miss an opportunity to see Steve Rogers party.”

Steve laughed, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted. “Well, the bridal party thing is still at T’Challa’s private resort on Long Island. He’s airlifting us in with private planes.”

Tony chuckled. “Sounds like a spy thriller.”

Steve laughed back, even louder this time. “Yeah, Sam’s grateful T’Challa took over most of the planning…”

“Uh, where do I need to be?” Tony asked quietly.

Steve rubbed the back of his head. “Let me check with Sam about the specifics and I’ll text you. Is that okay? He’s coming over tomorrow.”

“Yeah, that sounds great, Steve.” Tony answered, now sounding more like himself.

Steve smiled, nodding. “Okay, great. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Sounds good. Night, Steve.” Tony sounded exhausted, but Steve could sense that he was grateful for the invite.

“Night, Tony.” Steve waited before hanging up, grateful that Tony had said yes.

* * *

_The next morning…_

“Okay, I just need a final head count before sending the guest list to T’Challa for the bridal party thing…”

Sam was sitting at Steve and Bucky’s kitchen table, leaning over several sheets of paper that comprised his wedding plans with Shuri.

“…Buck?” Sam kept his eyes on the sheets.

Bucky shrugged with a conniving grin, while holding a cup of coffee. “I’m going stag, per usual.”

“Cap?” Sam glanced upward quickly at Steve who was standing next to Bucky, “but, uh, not to put any pressure on you and Sharon—”

“Uh, actually…” Steve sat down next to Sam at the table, “I’m…taking Tony, if that's all right.”

As soon as Steve answered, Bucky choked on a sip of his coffee, and Sam took his time looking over at Steve.

“Uh…” Sam looked at Bucky who was coughing loudly before looking back at Steve, squinting his eyes in disbelief, “is, uh, Sharon busy…or something…?”

Steve sighed. “No, things aren’t working out…we talked last night…so we’re not seeing each other anymore…”

Sam and Bucky looked at each other before staring at Steve again. “Damn, Steve,” Bucky started, “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, Cap. That’s rough…” Sam added.

Steve shook is head. “Actually, I…uh, told her I, uh…wasn’t ready to be in a relationship…”

But instead of offering any opinion or surprised response, Sam only nodded as he looked back down at his sheets of paper and Bucky only nodded before going back to his coffee. However, Steve could tell that his friends wanted to say something about him spending more time with Tony rather than getting to know Sharon better.

Steve rolled his eyes as Sam and Bucky remained silent. “All right,” he sat back into his chair, “just say it.”

Sam and Bucky glanced at each other, shrugging before pretending as if Steve hadn’t dropped a bomb on them.

“Really?” Steve gawked at his friends, “of all the times when the two of you should be clamoring to offer your opinions?”

Sam sighed as he looked at Steve. “Steve, I really like Tony and I think you guys were great…and you’re entitled to do what you want to do…”

Steve stared at Sam before slowly turning to face Bucky. Part of him wanted to call Bucky out for talking to Sharon behind his back, but he was also mindful of the fact that Bucky had probably done so to look out for everyone’s best interests. Also, Steve knew his closest friend would come to him eventually, and that Bucky was right to sense that Steve’s intentions with Tony were probably beyond a friendship.

“Buck?” Steve asked, staring intently at Bucky.

Bucky slowly acknowledged Steve. “I agree with Sam…you should be able to do what you want, Cap…if you want to bring Tony, you should be able to do that.”

Steve nodded slowly, surprised. “I, uh, really appreciate…that…” he hung his head before continuing, “Tony means a lot to me…I’m just trying to repair something between us…just being around him means so much to me…”

Steve looked back up at Sam and Bucky, both expressing sincerity, but Steve sensed that they wanted him to be completely transparent about his feelings.

“…honestly,” Steve waved a hand around, “I don’t have any ulterior motive for bringing Tony along…okay? Please don’t make this a bigger deal than it already is.” He pleaded.

Both Sam and Bucky nodded quicky. “Yep, Steve.” Bucky responded.

“Of course, Cap.” Sam nearly added in time.

Steve eyed his friends before rising from the table. “Could you send me the details for the party so I can send them to Tony, Sam?”

Sam nodded as he pulled out his phone. “Yep, forwarding them now.”

Steve nodded before turning to exit the kitchen. “Thanks.” As he left, he could feel Sam and Bucky staring at him. But he didn’t care. He knew what he was doing and having Tony at the party was what he wanted.


	46. Chapter 46

Gamora unexpectedly flinched in time with the flash of light that her safety goggles barely shielded her eyes against. Yet, as her vision gradually recovered, she could hear her father laughing manically before speaking to her sister.

“That design expo…” Thanos started.

“The one that’ll be on Roosevelt Island?” Gamora heard Nebula respond.

Gamora removed her goggles, feeling the weight of the ramifications associated with letting her father get too far with his super weapon.

“Of course. It’s perfect.”

Gamora felt her father brush past her as he rushed out of the safety room. She them turned her body to prevent her sister from following him.

“I need to speak with you…” She whispered.

Nebula scrunched up her face, already annoyed. “What?”

Gamora looked behind herself before motioning for Nebula to follow her out of the room. They glanced down the corridor to see their father speaking with his team of scientists before the group walked into the testing area. Gamora motioned again for Nebula to follow her down another hallway.

“What?” Nebula repeated; her tone sounding the most irritated it had ever been.

“You can’t be okay with this.” Gamora responded.

Nebula rolled her eyes as she listened, but after a moment or two, she shrugged. She looked directly at Gamora before looking past her down the adjoining corridor toward the testing area.

“Even _if_ I weren’t, which I’m not saying I am, how do you plan to stop him? He’s too far along…also I wouldn’t put it past him to get rid of _anyone _who betrays him…”

Gamora nodded as she reached out a hand to rub her sister’s arm who at first recoiled before settling. Gamora knew all too well what their father was capable of, which is why she had sent the weapon’s data to the Synergy team.

“That’s why we need to stop it before he deploys this weapon at the expo…I have a plan…” Gamora then pulled out a mini tablet from her back pocket, tapping on it to show her sister the list of sequences.

She took in a deep breath. “I sent these sequences to the Synergy Team…”

Gamora looked down at the tablet before look back up at her sister, her expression becoming enraged.

“You did_ what_?”

* * *

“Hey!”

Bucky was standing on top of the portable airstairs to one of T’Challa’s private planes, calling down to Sam and Steve as they walked toward the aircraft.

“This is legit! And there’s already food out!” He continued, waving an arm around at his friends before spinning around to head inside the plane.

As soon as they approached the bottom of the stairs, Sam turned to face Steve. “I can’t take you guys _anywhere_.” He said with a grin.

Steve laughed as he patted Sam on the shoulder. Sam nodded before ascending the stairs.

“I’m going to wait for Tony.” Steve said as he watched Sam walk up the stairs.

Steve then turned to face away from the plane: T’Challa’s plane was located on a man-made harbor in the city that contained enough space to allow the plane to take off and land on a constrained runway. T’Challa had the harbor and the airstrip built after he bought some real estate in the city and in Long Island to expand Wakanda’s business ventures, which included the private resort where everyone was traveling to for Sam and Shuri’s wedding.

Steve looked around the harbor before glancing at his wristwatch. He knew it was still a little early before takeoff, but he was excited to see Tony.

A few minutes passed before a black car drove onto the harbor before driving toward the landing strip. Steve shielded his eyes from the sun’s glare, squinting to see a figure emerging from the car once it came to a full stop. As soon as he recognized that the figure was Tony, Steve smiled and waved, watching Tony talk to Happy who was in the driver’s seat before walking toward Steve. Steve could see that Tony was smiling back at him as he approached the plane.

“Hey, Rogers.” Tony stopped a couple of feet in front of Steve.

“Hey, Tony. I’m glad you could make it.” Steve offered, still smiling at Tony.

This was the first time they had seen each other in person since the night Tony had made a move on Steve. Serendipitously, Tony had gotten caught up at Stark Industries with a few projects that needed to roll out before leaving for the wedding, and Steve also needed to finish some prep work for a few cases before they left, so neither had been at Stark Enterprises for some time.

Both Tony and Steve looked at each other, perhaps both sensing that it was awkward seeing the other in person again since that night.

“Well, thanks again for inviting me.” Tony answered.

“Hey!” Steve and Tony turned around to see that Bucky was back out on top of the airstairs, waving at them to get their attention.

“Stop stalling!” He now had his hands cupped around his mouth to project his voice, “Sam said we gotta get ready to go!”

Steve waved back before turning to face Tony who retained a pleasant expression on his face.

“Ready?” Steve asked, pointing behind himself at the plane.

Tony nodded. “After you, Rogers.” He waited for Steve to walk ahead of him further before following, ascending the stairs before entering the cabin.

T’Challa had prepared multiple planes for the bridal party and friends to travel to the resort. Steve and Tony were sharing this plane with Sam and Bucky, along with a couple of T’Challa’s bodyguards and two in-laws.

As he entered the main cabin, Tony glanced around the space, taking in the scene before following Steve to their seats.

“Hey, Sam.” Tony nodded at Sam who was talking to one of his future in-laws toward the front of the cabin, “hey, Bucky,” then he waved at Bucky who was reclining in his seat, already enjoying the food that had been prepared for their short trip to the resort.

Tony walked to the side of the cabin where Steve was standing to see two free seats in front of a nicely carved, wooden table. The cabin had its own resort feel to it: a tasteful amount of gold trimming lined the deep mahogany wood paneling lining the interior of the plane. All of the amenities that one could ever possibly need during a longer flight was available at a short grasp.

Steve waited next to their seats as he pointed to the window seat. “Would you like the window seat, Tony?”

Tony nodded with a grin before accidentally bumping up against Steve to get to his seat. He cooed as he took his time sitting down, marveling at how much space was available between their seats the table.

“Okay, I’m rich, but I’m not _this _rich.” Tony said to Steve but loud enough for everyone else to hear.

“Tony.” As soon as he sat down, Steve reached over to pinch Tony’s leg, but he was laughing.

Tony glanced downward at his leg before slowly looking up at Steve, grinning widely from making Steve laugh. Steve smiled back; although there was a weird feeling between them, it was fading steadily as they settled in their seats.

“Good morning, everyone…” A voice materialized throughout the cabin.

“…please prepare for takeoff in a few minutes…the flight should only last thirty minutes…”

“Sam!” Bucky was calling for Sam, still reclining in his seat, “we can drink on this flight, right?”

“Do you want coffee or something, Tony?” Steve leaned inward to whisper to Tony.

“Yeah, Buck!” Sam called back as he walked toward his seat next to Bucky, “just don’t get too crazy. We have several days to get through.

Tony closed the gap between himself and Steve. “Yeah, coffee sounds great. I’ve been up late the last few nights trying to finish a few things before coming out.”

Steve nodded before rising from his seat to head to the back of the cabin to retrieve some coffee from the built-in bar. He came back to their seats to find Tony fiddling around with the controls on his chairs.

“Actually,” Tony made his chair recline as Steve sat down next to him, “I think I might end up passing out…I need to ask T’Challa where he bought these chairs…”

Steve chuckled as he placed two coffee mugs on the table in front of them. “That’s okay if you do, Tony. You’ll also have some time to relax a bit at the resort when we arrive.”

Tony nodded with a smile, leaning back in his chair. He looked forward before turning slightly toward Steve again.

“Poor Peter. He begged me to come along. I ended up promising him that we could spend an extra month or so out at the house in Malibu for the summer…well hopefully anyway…who knows with the end of the world looming over our heads.”

Steve nodded slowly. “So…you’ll be gone for a couple months then?”

Tony nodded as he turned to look forward. “Uh, yeah…maybe just for the summer.”

“Well…hopefully…” Steve kept his eyes on Tony, “I’ll get to do some pre-summer things with the two of you before you head out…”

Tony turned slowly to stare at Steve. “Uh, yeah…” he began, his expression was blank before he smiled back, “I think that’s a great idea, Rogers.”

Steve smiled. “Great.” He then reached forward underneath the table to find his phone in his bag, “oh and I hope you still don’t mind about the suite situation…”

Even though they hadn’t seen each other in person, Steve had been updating Tony via email about the living arrangements at the resort. The resort suites were extravagant even by luxurious hotel standards, but most of the individual/private suites were already taken to accommodate Shuri and T’Challa’s extended family that had flown in from Wakanda for the wedding. And considering that Tony had been a late addition to the bridal party event, he and Steve would have to share a suite.

“I mean,” Tony had turned again to face Steve, “it’s okay with me if it’s all right with you…”

Steve nodded as he scrolled through pictures of the suites on his phone. “The suites are so big it’ll be like we’re living in our own apartments anyway.”

Tony chuckled as he sat back in his chair. “That sounds good to me.”

“Please prepare for departure.” The voice had appeared once more.

“Well,” Tony clapped his hands together as he squiggled with delight in his seat, “this trip should be interesting.” He turned to grin at Steve again before reaching for his coffee mug.

Steve nodded back as he waited before taking his own mug, smiling at Tony enjoying himself.

* * *

_Not too long after at the resort…_

As the plane came to a complete stop, the group looked out the cabin windows at the resort. The resort was also located on a man-made portion of Long Island. Buildings reflecting the architectural character of Wakanda were surrounded by a sprawling and luscious landscape.

Everyone grabbed their bags as the cabin door opened. They piled out to find T’Challa standing some ways away from the plane, flanked by his personal bodyguards. With a broad smile on his face, T’Challa was reaching his arms out, wearing a demure set of traditional Wakandan robes.

“Damn,” Bucky was standing next to Steve at the entrance to the plane’s cabin, “T’Challa’s one good looking dude.” Prompting Steve to laugh and nod back in agreement.

“Sam and dearest friends!” T’Challa gleefully greeted as he approached the plane with his guards, “it appears that you all have arrived smoothly! Hopefully everything was to your liking.”

Sam nodded as he descended the airstairs to greet T’Challa. He held out a hand, but T’Challa pulled him into a hug instead.

“Thanks for the flight, T’Challa. That was really nice of you.” Sam straightened himself out as soon as T’Challa let go of him.

T’Challa laughed heartily as he patted Sam on the back. “Not to worry, dear brother. You’re family!”

Sam smiled back before motioning for everyone to follow them down the airstrip to a fleet of armored cars that would drive them closer to the resort buildings. T’Challa smiled as he greeted Bucky and Steve, shaking their hands vigorously.

“And, Tony!” T’Challa greeted as soon as Tony came up to him, “so wonderful to have you here before the wedding.”

Tony shook T’Challa’s hand. “Thanks for adding me to this shindig at the last minute, T’Challa.”

T’Challa let out another jolly laugh before patting Tony on the shoulder. “Of course!” He then turned to a degree as his voice lowered, “my sister informed me about the work you all are wanting to do with Synergy while here at the resort…”

Tony nodded. “I hope that’s all right…”

T’Challa smiled slightly. “It’s more than all right. I set aside some space for the team to work whenever you get a moment.”

He patted Tony on the shoulder again before motioning for the group to follow him toward the vehicles.

“Let’s get you all settled. I have keys set out for everyone to your suites. Just retrieve them at the main desk once you’re ready.”

The group responded verbally as they climbed into the cars. They drove to a covered walkway that cut through the landscape to the main buildings.

“When I built this resort…” T’Challa began as everyone was out of the cars and following him to the building, “I brought my personal architect with me. I had to import most of the construction materials, but it was important for me that this place reflected Wakanda. I prefer doing business that way!”

He waved a hand around as he pointed out certain architectural features. The group came out on the other end of the walkway into the one of the main buildings. As they entered, they were met with the sounds of a few wedding guests walking around and enjoying the resort amenities.

“I closed down the resort for the wedding, so it’s just wedding guests.” T’Challa stopped at the front desk as he motioned to get the attention of one of the members of the resort staff, “could you give everyone their keys to their suites?”

The desk manager nodded before laying out the suite keys. Everyone moved around the desk to grab their keys as more staff employees appeared to guide their to their suites.

T’Challa clapped his hands together. “There will be a dinner for everyone to meet later this evening, but feel free to explore the resort before then.”

Sam turned to Bucky. “Okay, Buck. You’re with me.” He waved at Steve and Tony before walking to one of the elevator banks.

Steve turned to Tony with a nod before accessing another elevator to get to their suite floor. They rode the elevator to their floor before it opened into a gigantic foyer.

Tony cooed again as he took his time looking around the space. “Jesus fucking Christ. This place is sweet!”

Steve laughed as he followed Tony further into the suite. “Yeah, this place is definitely bigger than my apartment…”

They walked through the foyer before finding the living space and the kitchen. They then found the dining room which was connected to the kitchen, leading out onto a balcony.

Steve walked out onto the balcony up to the ornate railing. “Wow, this place is beautiful.”

Tony joined Steve at the railing. “Yeah…” He then turned to face Steve, “thanks again, Rogers…”

Steve nodded before pointing behind himself toward the inside of the suite. “Should we keep exploring?”

Tony nodded as he followed Steve back inside. They wandered around a bit longer, finding a full bath and another half bath, until they found a bedroom. However, as soon as there was nothing left to discover about the spatial configurations of the suite, they soon realized that there was only one bedroom in the entire suite.

Steve walked back into the bedroom as Tony kept searching around. “Uh, Rogers…” he called for Steve as he walked into the bedroom, “…I think there’s only one bedroom…”

Steve was standing next to the only bed, staring down at it. Tony joined him at the bed, now starting down at whatever had captured Steve’s attention. There, on top of the bed, was a teddy bear holding a giant red heart, snuggled on top of a bed of roses.

“Fuck.” Tony let out.

* * *

Steve backed away from the bed, feeling himself panic. “Maybe…uh, maybe there’s a pullout somewhere.” He almost tripped over himself as he searched the room, leaving Tony staring at the teddy bear on the bed.

“A pullout? Rogers…” Tony turned around to watch Steve aimlessly search the room, “can’t we call someone? I mean…it’s nice rooming with you, but…to be honest…I’m not trying to complain, really…but it’s already kind of weird that they put us in the same suite…”

Steve spun around to face Tony. “But, uh…Sam and Bucky are sharing a suite before the wedding.” He tried to reason out loud.

Tony scoffed as he crossed his arms. “_Right_, and Sam and Bucky used to fuck. Gotcha.”

Steve let out a groan as Tony’s comment made him panic even more. He turned to walk toward to the bedroom door.

“Okay, whatever. I don’t want to make a fuss about it because this is supposed to be about Sam and Shuri, so I’ll just sleep out in the living room area.”

Tony attempted to stop him from getting away by reaching an outstretched arm but then he quickly pulled it back.

“Steve, you can take the bedroom then. I don’t mind.”

Steve shook his head quickly as he backed out of the bedroom. “Tony, it’s fine. I can just camp out in the living room—we’ll barely be in the suite anyway.”

He kept backing out of the room before spinning around to get to the living room area. He was embarrassed that they were in the situation they were in while attending a wedding at an upscale resort on a private island.

“Rogers?” Steve could hear Tony calling for him in the bedroom, “are you sure?”

Steve panicked, looking around the living room quickly before rushing toward the foyer to get to the elevator.

“Yep! Actually, I just remembered that I left something with Bucky and Sam! I’ll be right back!” Steve pressed the button to the lobby multiple times through a surge of terror before the doors finally opened.

He hopped into the elevator car, pressing the button multiple times to close the door. The doors closed and he bounced around anxiously as he rode the elevator down to the lobby. As soon as the elevator arrived at the lobby, Steve stepped out into the space to find no sign of Bucky or Sam. He ran up to the desk to locate their suite floor before spinning, inputting the security code to get to his friend’s suite before jumping right back into the elevator. Steve continued to bounce around anxiously as he rode the elevator up to Sam and Bucky’s floor, running out of the elevator as soon as it opened again. He found Bucky in the foyer of the suite picking up a bag.

“Hey, Cap. How’s your—” But before Bucky could greet his friend, Steve grabbed him and dragged him into the elevator.

“Hey!” Bucky struggled against Steve, “what’s going on, dude?”

Steve let go of Bucky as he inhaled deeply. “They…I think…Tony and I…” He tried, but the image of the teddy bear laying in the bed of roses strangled his thought process.

Bucky stared at Steve. “What, Steve? Tony and you, what? Please don’t tell me you fucked already.” He teased although his friend appeared distressed.

Steve’s eyes widened as he backed away from Bucky, bumping into the elevator wall. He shook his head.

“No, Buck!” Steve took a moment, “Tony and I are…in one of the couple suites…”

Bucky’s eyes became equally as wide as Steve’s before he suddenly burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. Steve rolled his eyes as he watched his friend double over, laughing for what seemed like several long minutes, before straightening up and letting out a satisfied, “whooo!”.

Steve rolled his eyes again. “Are you finished?”

Bucky wiped his eyes as he let out another sigh. “Cap! You gotta admit that that there is some cosmic trickery.” He paused for a second as he appeared to be remembering something, “actually, Sam had asked me before we found out that you broke up whether he should plan for you bringing Sharon and I _bet_ the resort staff forgot to change it at the last minute. But just tell Sam and they’ll fix it, dude.”

Steve shook his head again as the elevator stopped at the lobby. “I can’t do that. I’m not going to make a scene at my friend’s wedding. I already asked to bring my ex-boyfriend along.”

Bucky rolled his eyes as he stepped out into the lobby. “_Or _you’re going to use this debacle as an opportunity to get close to said ex-boyfriend. _Otherwise _you would just fix it.”

Steve gawked at Bucky which prompted him to laugh uncontrollably again. He then patted Steve on the shoulder.

“Look, Steve. I know how you feel about Tony. You brought him along because you want to get close again, like it’s _so _obvious.”

Steve shook his head once more as he tried to get away from Bucky, but the latter had taken a firm hold of his shoulder with his bionic arm.

“Steve, come on. Just be honest with me.”

Steve sighed as he stopped struggling. He looked away from Bucky, knowing he needed to be honest. “Okay, you’re right…” he looked back at Bucky, “I would like to get close to Tony again, but I don’t think he’s willing to start up anything serious again…we haven’t even talked about the break up…”

Bucky nodded as he finally let go of Steve. “Well, maybe this is your chance. You guys should talk.”

Something about the way Bucky looked and his particular phrasing puzzled Steve, but he only nodded back instead of dwelling on the moment.

“I know…I’m just not sure how to start the conversation…”

Bucky nodded before patting Steve on the shoulder again. “Just take it easy. You guys used to talk all the time before.”

Steve nodded back slowly as he then followed Bucky back into the elevator, riding it back up to Bucky and Sam’s suite.

“Yeah…” Steve sighed, “I know you’re right…”

Bucky rested his hand on Steve’s shoulder to squeeze it gently. “Let me know how it goes, okay? You can do this, okay? Love you, man.”

Steve nodded. “Love you too, Buck.” He then watched Bucky take a moment before walking back into his suite.

Steve waited a bit longer before taking the elevator back down to the lobby to switch elevators to get back to his suite with Tony.

* * *

_Meanwhile at S.H.I.E.L.D…_

“Look,” Loki tried shifting his body weight to get more comfortable, but the restraints holding his arms to the table were making it difficult for him to move, “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you people, but that’s all I know!”

Leaning up against the opposite wall with his arms crossed, Fury scoffed before pushing himself away from the wall to stare down at Loki.

“Sir.” Agent Hill appeared suddenly in the room, “you need to see this.” She vaguely explained, yet sternly without acknowledging Loki who was struggling in his chair.

Fury nodded before quickly following Agent Hill out of the room.

“Hey! Hey!” Loki shouted after them as he tried to free himself from the restraints, “can I leave now?”

Both Fury and Agent Hill ignored Loki’s pleas as they walked briskly to the command center at S.H.I.E.L.D.’s headquarters.

“What’s up?” Fury asked as they entered the space before walking up to the main helm.

Agent Hill tapped on a console before stepping to the side to let Fury inspect the projection.

“We just received this, sir.”

Fury looked at Agent Hill before looking at the projection, his expression changing quickly as he read the data.

“Mother fucker…” Fury breathed before turning around to face Agent Hill, “is this real?” He pointed back at the projection to see Agent Hill nodding back at him.

Fury turned to face the console again, resting his hands on his hips. “Get some agents out there right now. I’m going with them.”

Agent Hill tapped on her earpiece. “Right away, sir.”

* * *

_The following morning…_

Steve groaned as he shifted his body from side to side. He was lying on one of the sofas in the living room area of the suite. He turned over onto his side to look at his phone which was sitting on top of a coffee table near the sofa.

He groaned again as he grabbed the phone to see what time it was. _Ugh…I barely slept last night…_

And it wasn’t the cushions on the sofa Steve had been lying on that disrupted his sleeping schedule, Actually, the sofa had been the cushiest piece of furniture Steve had ever come in contact with, but somehow his amounting sense of dread he had been dealing with since coming to terms with having a serious conversation with Tony about their relationship prevented Steve from appreciating the plushy sofa.

“Hey, Rogers.” Tony appeared in the living room stretching, “sleep okay?”

Steve nodded as he sat up straight on the couch. “Yeah…” he lied.

Tony nodded with a smile before pointing toward the kitchen. “Want breakfast?”

Steve nodded again, waiting before following Tony into the kitchen, keeping himself at a distance. Tony rummaged through the space, looking through what T’Challa’s resort staff had provided in the suites.

“You know, I think I might just ask T’Challa if Peter and I could just live here…” Tony started, “this place is amazing.” He turned to look at Steve with a smile.

Steve managed to laugh back, although he felt incredibly awkward. He watched Tony crack a few eggs before tossing them into a frying pan.

“So, what’s on the schedule for today, Rogers? Do we get to just hang out or do we have to do group things?” Tony asked, keeping his back facing Steve as he cooked.

Steve rubbed a hand through his hair a few times. “Uh, well I think a combination of both. I was thinking we could walk around a bit, maybe relax by one of the pools…later Sam wanted the bridal party to take some pre-wedding photos…and then I think T’Challa’s throwing a huge party for everyone later tonight.”

Tony turned slightly to nod back at Steve. “Well that sounds great.” He then turned to face the stove again, “let’s eat then check out what else is going on at this place. I need to send more pictures to Peter before relaxing.”

As Steve was in the process of responding to Tony, a ringing sound emitted from their suite’s foyer. Both Steve and Tony looked at each other before Steve walked through the living space to get to the foyer. He walked up to the elevator to review the security panel next to the elevator. Steve squinted to see Bucky requesting access to his and Tony’s suite. Steve approved the access and not long after Bucky appeared in the foyer.

“Hey, Cap!” Bucky popped out of the elevator, “T’Challa’s taking us out on his yacht!”

Steve back away from the elevator so that Bucky wouldn’t collide into him. “Uh, well…”

Bucky ignored him as he walked further into the suite. “Wow, the couple suites _are _nice.” He turned to leer at Steve.

“Hey, Bucky.” Tony walked into the foyer, “what’s up?”

“Hey, Tony. T’Challa’s taking us out on his yacht.”

Steve stepped toward Bucky and Tony. “Thanks for the invite, Buck, but I think Tony and I are planning to take it easy today—”

“Uh, hold up, Rogers,” Tony interrupted with a grin, “yachting with T’Challa sounds too good to pass up.”

“Yeah, Steve.” Bucky had turned to grin at Steve.

Steve looked back and forth at Tony and Bucky. “Well, uh yeah, but…Tony I thought you said you wanted to relax a bit?” He had worked himself up all night about having a conversation with Tony that he had missed his chance at the dinner and now knew he needed to talk to Tony before the party that night.

Tony shook his head as he laughed. “Yachting _is _relaxing, Rogers. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Steve sighed as he realized that he couldn’t back out of the trip. He told himself that maybe he might be able to get some alone time with Tony on the yacht.

“Fine, okay.” Steve shrugged.

Soon after, the three of them walked together to one of the docks where T’Challa kept one of his private yachts. They found Sam and T’Challa with a couple bodyguards, already on the yacht chatting.

“Hey!” Sam waved at the trio as they approached, “we’re setting off soon!”

The group assembled on the yacht before casting off. During the entire trip, Steve tried to get Tony alone, but the latter had been too social with everyone else on board to steal a private moment. They sailed around a bit, everyone else enjoying themselves as Steve internally struggled over talking with Tony.

“Hey, Rogers.” Tony sat down next to Steve as the yacht finally headed back to the dock, “I feel like I haven’t talk to you all day.”

Steve smiled weakly, but he couldn’t have the conversation he wanted with Tony at the moment because they were close to disembarking.

“Yeah, but you looked like you were enjoying yourself…” Steve offered back.

“Hey, everyone!” Sam called from the upper level of the yacht, “we’re doing the bridal party photos now so everyone can rest before the party.”

As soon as the yacht made contact with the dock, Sam quickly rushed everyone off the yacht to head to the area of the resort where most of the other wedding guests had gathered for the photo. Sam had everyone separate into multiple groups before taking a group photo. Steve and Tony were placed together in a smaller group with Sam, Bucky, and T’Challa.

They gathered around each other with Steve and Tony standing close to one another to the right of everyone else. The photographer looked beyond his camera before motioning with one hand at the group.

“Uh, could the couple on the right scoot more to the left, please?”

All eyes turned to Steve and Tony as the huddled group realized that the photographer had mistaken them for a couple. Both Steve and Tony quickly glanced at each other, both turning red before awkwardly shuffling to the right. Tony almost tripped and Steve took a hold of his arm before he fell over, adding more to the palpable tension.

“Yep, that’s perfect!” The photographer shouted back, wholly unaware of Steve and Tony’s relationship woes, “okay, now everybody say: congratulations, Sam and Shuri!”

The group mumbled back the phrase as the photographer snapped a few photos. After a moment, Sam managed to gather the entire bridal party together. Steve and Tony stayed neared each other; Steve could sense that Tony was also feeling awkward about the mistake, but something about Tony staying near him strangely relieved Steve.

“Hey…” Tony inched closer toward Steve as the group slowly broke up after the photo, “I think I’m going to head back to our suite to chill for a bit…maybe do some work. Feel free to do your own thing, though.”

Steve swallowed a lump in his throat as he nodded back at Tony. “It’s all right, Tony. I think I need some down time, too.”

They said goodbye to everyone before walking back to their suite. And although Steve finally had the alone time he had desperately needed to talk to Tony, he found himself unable to bring up anything serious as he and Tony talked about their day on T’Challa’s yacht.

As soon as they arrived back to their suite, Tony walked toward the bedroom. “I think I’m going to take a nap then do some work.”

Steve nodded with a yawn. “Okay, I’m a little tired, too, from working on those case files so I may relax on the couch.” And he was also tired from worrying about Tony all day.

“Or, uh…” Tony started as Steve sat down on the sofa he had slept on the night before, “I don’t mind if you nap on the bed with me, Rogers…I can tell you didn’t sleep well last night…you also seem anxious…”

Steve looked up at Tony, feeling weird that he had picked up on his anxiety. “Uh…are you sure?” He asked quietly, too shocked to mentally parse through Tony’s proposal.

Tony nodded. “Yeah…I mean it’s not like we’re doing anything else…”

Steve nodded back, taking a moment before following Tony into the bedroom. He looked around the space: Tony had his suitcase wide open on the floor and the bed was covered with clothes and a tablet.

“Uh, sorry…” Tony quickly picked up the clothes and the tablet, tossing them into his suitcase before motioning for Steve to lie on the bed. Steve looked at Tony then the bed before looking back at Tony again.

“What, Rogers?” Tony said as he grinned, resting his hands on his hips, “_please_ don’t tell me you’re weird about sharing a bed.”

The comment made Steve smile as he instantly remembered the time Tony had fallen asleep at his place after dinner one evening before they started dating.

“Well, I guess it’s fine…” Steve took his shoes off being sitting on the bed.

Tony followed, removing his shoes before laying down next to Steve. Steve waited before laying down, making sure to stay near the edge, wondering to himself if this was the right moment to talk to Tony about their relationship.

“I don’t know if you remember this…” Tony began in a whisper, “but do you remember when Peter and I were working on some wayward robot and it freaked you out?”

The memory made Steve laugh again, louder than he had expected. “Uh, yes, of course. Besides that incident, that was such a good day…” He then grew quiet as he found himself wanting to also add that he missed those days.

Silence enveloped them both as Steve could feel the tension rise between himself and Tony again. He shuffled on the bed with a cough, waiting for Tony to respond.

“Uh…” Tony started, “I think I might just take a shower instead…” he quickly hopped off the bed before walking into the bathroom, “feel free to sleep here.” He added before disappearing.

Steve stayed on the bed, looking straight up at the ceiling, wondering to himself how he was going to get through this trip.

* * *

_Later that early evening…_

Tony was sitting on the bed in the bedroom, reading a digital copy of his dad’s original schematics of the Synergy device. Steve had left earlier to meet up with Bucky and Sam for a bit.

_…come on, dad…you gotta tell me something…_

Tony scrolled down until something caught his eye. It was a notation to a function that had been rendered obsolete in the newest iteration of the device.

_…wait a minute…_Tony squinted his eyes as he tried to make sense of the notation.

He used two fingers to zoom in, too focused on what he was doing. His other hand accidentally bumped a folder that contained some of his older photos, automatically displaying the photo he had taken of himself and Steve at Steve’s law school graduation.

“Hey, Tony! Are you here?” Tony nearly fell out of the bed at the sound of Steve’s voice.

“Yep! I’m in the bedroom!” Tony answered back, swiping the image away before turning his tablet off. He hopped off the bed and walked out of the bedroom to find Steve standing in the living room area.

“Hey, so I thought before the party tonight, maybe we could get dinner? Just the two of us?” Steve asked with a shrug.

Tony eyed him before answering. “What? T’Challa’s too cheap to have food at this party?” He teased.

Steve laughed quietly. “No, there’s going to be food…I just thought maybe we could have some alone time…”

Tony nodded slowly; the feeling he had earlier when he was on the bed with Steve appeared again and he couldn’t make up an excuse this time.

Something was still bothering Tony about this trip; he was confused by Steve’s intentions. Tony remembered that Steve had told him on the phone that he wasn’t looking for a relationship at the moment, but here they were on a wedding getaway for the bridal party, sharing a suite obviously meant for a couple, a situation Steve seemed unwilling to fix.

“Uh,” Tony shifted back and forth on his feet before answering, “sure…that sounds good…”

“I made reservations at a restaurant not too far away on the other side of the resort…we can use one of those private cars to get around…” Steve offered as he took a step toward Tony.

Tony nodded again as he pointed back toward the bedroom. “Okay, I’ll just close down what I’m doing and get ready.”

He then spun around to get back to the bedroom without hearing a response from Steve. Tony quickly saved what he was working on before finding something to wear. He could hear Steve’s voice draw nearer to the bedroom, telling him about their dinner plans, but Steve stayed out of the bedroom.

After about an hour of awkwardly getting ready, Steve and Tony arrived at the restaurant. The host led them to their table which was outside on the balcony overlooking the water. Steve pulled out Tony’s chair for him, which caused Tony to turn red. Steve waited for Tony to settle before sitting down across from him.

To Tony, Steve’s expression looked serious. Perhaps a little too serious.

“Uh,” Tony shuffled around in his chair after they ordered some appetizers, “do you remember the first time we worked on the device together?—But, I think I might have blown the vibe by freaking out on you during that first simulation with the group…” He mentally berated himself for starting with that in order to avoid talking about something serious.

Steve laughed, hanging his head before looking back up at Tony. “I actually forgot about the first simulation…we worked so well together after…”

“I, uh, don’t think I ever really apologized to you about that, Rogers…” Tony looked away before looking back at Steve, “I’m sorry for being such an asshole…”

Steve shrugged as he sat up straight in his chair. “I appreciate the apology, Tony. But like I said, we worked well after…we were just getting used to each other…”

Tony nodded, somewhat relieved that Steve thought they had been a good team. “I mean…I think I may also be the reason why you eventually upgraded to a smart phone to join the rest of us this century.” He winked at Steve.

Steve chuckled before Tony continued. “Also…I wanted to thank you again for coming out to the Hamptons with me…that really meant a lot…”

Steve nodded slowly as he leaned forward in his chair. “Of course, Tony. I would have done that for you even if…we…weren’t dating…”

Tony nodded quickly before looking away from Steve again. He could feel that they were getting close to talking about more serious topics like the breakup and he wasn’t sure if he was ready for it.

“Actually…” Steve continued, “I didn’t think I was your type, Tony…”

Tony face Steve, taken aback by the comment. “Are you serious? I mean besides the fact that you’re extremely good looking and way too polite…well,” he paused, “I guess maybe not…I mean I don’t have the best track record, well besides maybe Pepper…”

Steve nodded as he waited for Tony who definitely had more to say. “…but I thought we had good times, Steve…I really thought that…and I still do…”

“…yeah,” Steve stared intently at Tony, “I think that too, Tony…”

Tony sighed as he hung his head. “I should have called you, Steve…I’m so sorry…” he then slowly lifted his head to look at Steve whose expression looked heartfelt.

“Tony…it’s okay…but just know that I care about you, okay?” He then reached out across the table with one hand.

Tony stared down at Steve’s hand, not entirely sure what to do. But after a moment, he finally reached out, taking a hold of Steve’s hand. They held hands for some time before their waiter appeared with their food.


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😉😉😉

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is broken up into two parts for a much-needed pause in the middle. Enjoy reading!
> 
> \--lady_slice

**PART ONE**

_Later that night…_

Fury sighed heavily as he watched his agents scour the remnants of Thanos’s abandoned testing area. Ever since raiding the lab the day before, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had been searching all over for any sign of Thanos’s super weapon, however, they had yet to find anything substantial.

“Sir?” An agent had approached Fury who was standing in the middle of the space, resting his hands on his hips.

“We found some traces from a chemical residue, but—”

“Please don’t tell me there’s nothing else.” Fury interrupted.

The agent shook her head slowly. “Sorry, sir. The traces appear to be the only thing left we can link back to the weapon.”

Fury nodded quickly as he dismissed the agent before tapping on his earpiece. “Hill,” he called, “get Selvig on these lab traces and have Romanov assist with tracking other possible traces…”

Fury paused as he resumed watching his agents meticulously search the testing area before packing up. He retrieved his phone from his pocket to look at the list of sequences sent to the team along with coordinates of Thanos’s lab that had been sent the day before.

“…wait a goddamn second…” Fury breathed, tapping on his earpiece again, “Hill, set up a video conference with the Synergy team, but I’m sending something to you in the meantime…”

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

After talking at dinner, Tony and Steve walked together to the party T’Challa had put on for the wedding guests, not really chatting to one another as both were trying to digest the serious conversation they had at dinner. However, despite this, something about the atmosphere between them had shifted greatly; they barely parted ways as they approached the venue, lingering as if wanting to say or do more.

The space for the party was filled with the sounds of laughter and music. The guests were all gathered into a huge outdoor space near the water. The venue was so massive that T’Challa had different sections set up for a live band, a few bars and buffet tables.

“Cap!” Bucky ran up to Steve and Tony as they approached one of the main areas, “there you are. Sam wants us to meet a few people before the rehearsal dinner.” He tugged on Steve’s arm.

Steve turned toward Tony before letting Bucky drag him away. “Uh, sorry. You’ll be okay?”

Tony nodded with a sheepish smile. “Yeah, I’ll just hang out.”

Steve nodded back as he let Bucky drag him toward Sam and some in-laws. Tony watched them leave before looking around the space. A few guests were dancing and eating while some had congregated outside closer to the water.

Tony turned to see Steve and Bucky talking with Sam on the other side of the space. Tony watched Steve speak with one of Sam’s in-laws; from time to time Steve would take a moment to look over in Tony’s direction with a smile.

Tony felt his face flush as he smiled back at Steve. He was surprised that their conversation at dinner hadn’t erupted into the explosive dumpster fire he had expected; actually, something about talking to Steve in such an intimate setting made Tony miss Steve even more. Yet, as he continued to watch Steve from a distance, he was still confused by Steve’s intentions.

Tony walked further into the space, glancing around again before spotting Shuri. She waved at him as he walked toward her. She gave him a hug before introducing him to some of her friends, but Tony’s attention was divided: from his vantage point he could still see Steve with Bucky and Sam and Steve was still glancing in his direction from time to time.

After a short while, most of the guests had dispersed to watch a firework show on the waterfront, while some other guests stayed in the main area, listening to the live band. At this point, Tony was sitting by himself, drinking a virgin mojito. He needed the space to clear his head before possibly making a decision he might regret.

He took a moment to see where Steve had gone off to, seeing Steve standing next to Bucky on the other end of the near empty space. Steve was in the middle of a huddle flanked by Bucky and Sam’s in-laws. Tony waved at him and Steve waved back before turning to listen to Bucky. Tony then shifted in his chair to watch the firework show from afar.

Suddenly, the live band’s singer paused before singing a rendition of Billie Holiday’s “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Tony gulped as he quickly looked over in Steve’s direction, remembering that that had been the song playing while he and Steve kissed for the second time after their argument over the failsafe.

Tony hadn’t meant to look over at Steve; his emotions were swirling, and he was having trouble trying to control them. But something about the moment felt right as he watched Steve excuse himself from the huddle before walking over to his table.

Tony watched Steve approach him, too paralyzed to really go elsewhere. Steve continued toward him until he finally reached the table. He smiled slightly before holding out a hand.

“Would you like to dance, Tony?” He asked quietly.

Without thinking twice, Tony nodded as he accepted Steve’s hand before rising from his seat. He let Steve guide him to the space designated for dancing, taking a moment before holding onto each other as they swayed to the music.

As they danced, Steve drew Tony close to his body; the atmosphere between them drowning out the ambient noise surrounding them. Tony placed a hand on Steve’s chest, caressing him lightly before looking up at him slightly as Steve simultaneously looked downward at him.

“Would you…” Steve started, “like to get out of here?”

Tony nodded slowly as he leaned up against Steve. They swayed for a few moments longer before Tony let go of Steve, feeling Steve take his hand again as they left the space and out the venue before walking toward their suite.

They were silent the entire walk over, yet still holding hands. As they entered their building, Tony accessed the elevator to their suite, stepping to the side to let Steve in first. Steve stepped inside the elevator, turning to hold the door open for Tony.

As the elevator doors closed, they stood on opposite sides of the car as it ascended to their floor. Tony turned to smile at Steve. Steve smiled back, laughing to himself before Tony walked over to him, wrapping a hand around Steve’s neck, kissing him deeply.

Steve wrapped his hands around Tony’s waist, pulling him close to his body as one hand stayed on the lower half of Tony’s backside while the other travelled upward.

“Oh my god…you smell so nice…” Tony whispered through the kiss.

Steve smiled as he pulled Tony even closer to his body. They made out before the elevator doors opened into their suite’s foyer. Steve reached out to hold the door open with one hand while still holding Tony at the waist.

“Should we, uh…” Steve started again with a contained laugh, “go to the bedroom…?” To Tony, Steve’s voice sounded strangely tentative.

Tony nodded as he stepped out of the elevator, grabbing Steve’s hand before leading him to the suite’s bedroom. As he opened the door, Tony felt Steve hug him from behind before turning him around for another kiss. Tony let Steve kiss him deeply and slowly before he turned them around again with Steve’s back facing the edge of the bed.

Steve backed up against the edge before sitting down. Tony then gently pushed him further onto the bed so that Steve was now lying down. Tony laid down on top of Steve as he kissed him.

“Fuck, Steve…” Tony started grinding his body against Steve’s, “I miss you so much…”

Steve nodded as he pushed upward into Tony. “I miss you too, Tony.”

Steve then took a firm hold of Tony before flipping them over so that Tony was now lying on his back. Tony scooted around in the bed so that they were lying lengthwise, wrestling with his shirt before yanking Steve’s off his body.

As soon as he was freed from his shirt, Steve pressed downward into Tony, rubbing himself against his body, causing Tony to moan uncontrollably from feeling Steve again. He could feel Steve getting hard through his pants, so Tony reached down to unzip his own before tackling Steve’s zipper.

Steve moaned quietly as he continued to press down into Tony’s body, shifting to the side for a second as Tony managed to pull his pants down more. Steve turned onto his back to pull his pants off as Tony did the same; they reached for each other as soon as they were just in their boxers, now vigorously rubbing up against each other.

Tony panted as he felt Steve, running his hands up the length of Steve’s backside, moaning from every movement. He slipped his hands underneath the hem of Steve’s boxers.

“Oh my god…I want to feel you, baby…” He let out as he pushed himself upward into Steve’s body.

Steve kissed Tony on the lips before moving his head to kiss him on his neck. He moved all Tony’s shoulder before moving downward, stopping to feel his chest, taking his time as he then leaned in more to lick Tony’s nipples. Tony’s breath hitched as soon as Steve’s tongue made contact with his hard nipples, pushing upward more as he held onto Steve.

Steve licked him some more before moving down his stomach, kissing Tony until he stopped at his hardening cock. Steve looked up at Tony, smiling before pushing down the fabric of his boxers. He rubbed Tony for some time, feeling him all over with one hand before replacing his hand with his mouth.

Tony instantly bucked upward into Steve’s mouth, feeling Steve’s tongue swirl around him. Tony moaned, louder than before as he tried preventing himself from yanking on Steve from how great the sensation felt. Steve licked up and down Tony, feeling his chest with his free hand as the other stroked his cock.

“Fuck, baby…” Tony whined.

Steve sucked on him for a moment longer before letting go. He then laid down on top of Tony, humping his body, letting out ragged gasps in between.

“Oh my god, Tony…” Steve breathed, holding onto Tony tightly as their hard cocks rubbed up against each other, with Steve’s still inside his boxers.

Steve reached downward to free himself, letting out a sharp moan as his naked hard cock made contact with Tony’s. Tony pushed upward before using his body weight to push Steve onto his back, straddling him, jerking forward with each thrust.

“Shit,” Tony stopped for a second, “I don’t have a condom.”

Steve nodded as he rubbed Tony’s arms. “That’s okay…I don’t mind doing this…”

Tony nodded with a grin. “I miss you so much, I’ll do whatever the fuck you want, baby…” his expression then changed as he was about to say something more.

“Actually, Tony…” Steve interjected as he continued rubbing Tony’s arms, “I haven’t been with anyone since you…”

Tony nodded back slowly, his expression still somewhat solemn as Steve smiled at him before pulling him to lie back down on his body. Tony moaned as he began humping Steve again, feeling Steve along his chest before holding onto him tightly. Steve breathed heavily as he sped up his motions against Tony, now holding onto Tony’s ass.

They moved in time with each other, both breathing deeply as they kissed each other, feeling each other as if they hadn’t missed a beat since they were last together. Tony could feel himself nearing the edge as he felt Steve’s body tense the way it usually did when he was close.

Tony smiled to himself as he heard Steve panting heavily, bucking upward into his body, at one point swearing to himself as he held onto Tony even tighter.

“I’m so close, baby…” Tony whispered as he sped up his movement against Steve.

Steve swore again as he unexpectedly smacked Tony’s ass before pulling him down closer to his body as tight as possible.

“Fuck, Tony…” Steve swore once more, “I’m close, too.”

Tony laughed as he continued against Steve, grinding faster and harder until he couldn’t last any longer. He groaned loudly as he released himself all over Steve’s chest. Steve came soon after, holding onto Tony as he touched himself.

Tony humped Steve’s body slowly, inhaling deeply before leaning forward to kiss Steve. Steve let go of himself to hold Tony against his body, turning his head to kiss him. They kissed each other for a second before Tony flipped over onto his back, panting heavily.

He took half a second before turning over to nestled himself on top of Steve’s chest, feeling his body before lifting his head to kiss Steve again. They kissed for some time, too amazed with what just happened between them to do anything else. From time to time they would pause for a break, but the emotional and sensual pull was too great and they resumed kissing the other softly and deeply for what seemed like ages.

Eventually, Tony nestled himself back onto Steve’s chest, wrapping a hand around his waist. Steve held Tony with one hand, kissing the top of his head. Tony smiled to himself, rubbing his body against Steve’s until he found himself succumbing from the exhaustion brought on from not only being with Steve for the first time in a long time but also from the back and forth over their relationship. He closed his eyes, feeling Steve, his body finally relaxing until he ultimately fell asleep.

* * *

_The next morning…_

Steve groaned as his eyes flickered opened from the morning light. He shifted, realizing that Tony was lying halfway on top of him, sleeping soundly. He smiled as he rubbed Tony’s back before turning toward the bedside table to check the time. It was early in the morning, so he still had some time before needing to meet up with Bucky and Sam for brunch.

Tony let out a sleep noise as he shifted his body weight on top of Steve. Steve held still before attempting to pull his body free from Tony.

As Steve was almost free, Tony groaned. “…what…” he sat up a bit, “…is it morning already?”

Steve chuckled as he inched up the bed. “Yeah, but it’s still early.”

Tony yawned as he looked around the room before turning to look directly at Steve, placing a hand on his chest as he moved inward for a kiss.

“So…” Tony pulled back from the kiss, “last night was really nice…”

Steve nodded as he kissed Tony again. “It was.”

They kissed each other for some time like they had last night before Tony pulled away from Steve to smile at him, sitting up straight to stretch. He then shuffled off the bed before stretching some more.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he then turned to shoot Steve a conniving grin, “feel free to join me if you want.” He added with a wink before walking to the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom.

Steve waited for the bathroom door to close, lying back down on the bed to face the ceiling. He was still enraptured by the euphoria from last night that he didn’t think twice before hopping off the bed to walk to the bathroom.

Steve leaned against the door, listening for the shower to turn on before turning the door handle to discover that Tony hadn’t locked the door. Steve smiled as he pushed the door open, finding Tony in the shower humming loudly to himself.

Steve approached the shower, knocking on the glass sliding door. The humming stopped as Tony turned to slide open the door. He was smiling widely at Steve with soap already in his hair.

“Rogers, I was half joking about sharing the shower, but I’m glad to do so anyway.”

Steve laughed as he stepped into the shower, wrapping both hands around Tony’s waist before pushing him up against the back wall, feeling along his body as Tony kissed him. Tony turned them around so that his back was facing the showerhead. He kissed Steve once more before washing the soap out of his hair as Steve held onto him, rubbing his back.

“I’m really glad we decided to do this, baby…” Tony whispered tilting his head upward for another kiss, “…we were always great together in bed and we can avoid all the stupid relationship drama…”

Steve stopped rubbing Tony’s back, pulling away a bit to stare at him.

“…also, I don’t have to worry about you being around my kid…” Tony continued, grinning at Steve.

“What?” Steve responded sharply, confused by Tony’s comments.

Tony laughed. “I think you’re right about taking a break from the whole relationship thing, but sex with you is _so_ hot—”

Steve yanked away from Tony, feeling himself losing his temper as he tried to get out of the shower. He felt Tony grab his arm, but Steve yanked away from him again, angry with himself and Tony.

“Steve?” Tony stayed in the shower, “what’s wrong?”

Steve grabbed a towel to cover himself. He took a deep breath before turning to face Tony.

“Tony, I’m not doing this.” He crossed his arms as soon as he made sure his towel was secure around his waist.

Tony looked at Steve as if he were confronting a scared animal, taking his time stepping out the shower before reaching for a towel.

“Steve…I don’t understand you at all…you break up with your girlfriend and then ask me on this trip…what did you think I was going to expect?"

Steve shook his head. “Tony, I don’t want _this_. I asked you on this trip because I want us to repair—”

“Rogers, stop.” Tony held up a hand to interrupt Steve, “you’re a real piece of work, you know that right?” He angrily dried himself off before marching out of the bathroom.

Steve quickly followed him out of the bathroom, finding Tony trying to get dressed.

“You told me on the fucking phone before we came out here that you weren’t ready to be in a relationship,” Tony threw some clothes around without really picking anything to wear, “yet, we fucked last night and then you follow me into the shower. What the_ fuck_ did you think I was going to expect?” He repeated sternly.

Steve sighed, remembering saying those exact words to Tony. He took a step toward Tony, trying to come up with something to diffuse the tension.

“Tony, you have no idea how I feel about you...”

Tony turned away from Steve, sighing as he rested his hands on his hips. Steve waited bit a longer before continuing, now watching Tony finally put on something to wear.

“Look, Tony, last night was a mistake, we’ll never do that again, okay? I really just want to be friends with you—”

“Friends?” Tony spun around to face Steve, “_friends_?” he took a step toward Steve, “last time I checked, Rogers, friends don’t fuck each other.”

Steve sighed again, closing his eyes as he scolded himself for making Tony angrier, but before he could say anything, Tony brushed past him to exit the bedroom.

Steve chose not to follow him; he wasn’t sure what to say. He had thought that last night had meant something more, but it appeared that Tony thought it meant something else. Also, Steve’s own intentions confused him; he wanted Tony in his life, and he cared about him so much. He wasn’t sure why he had told Tony he wanted to be friends.

Steve sighed heavily as he sat down on the edge of the bed, hanging his head, wallowing in agony.

* * *

_Later that morning…_

Steve was on his way up to Bucky and Sam’s suite, but of course he didn’t feel like having brunch. The argument with Tony earlier that morning was weighing heavy on his mind.

“Hey, Cap.” Bucky greeted as soon as the elevator doors opened.

Steve nodded before following Bucky out onto the balcony where a table and a few chairs were set up for their brunch.

“Sam’s in his room on the phone with T’Challa talking about some last-minute ceremony things.” Bucky explained as he sat down at the table.

Steve nodded again, but let out a painful sounding sigh as he joined Bucky at the table. The sigh was so distressing, it disturbed Bucky.

“Uh, Cap…” Bucky watched Steve rest his elbows on the table before placing his head into his hands, “you all right?”

Steve shook his head. “I did something with Tony…”

Steve’s answer elicited the most uproarious laughter from Bucky. His laughter was so intense that his body shook their table.

“Yeah, Steve, we _all_ know you guys fucked last night. You guys left the party together and didn’t say goodbye to anyone.”

“Hey, what’s so funny?” Sam had appeared out on the balcony.

Both Bucky and Steve looked at Sam before Bucky started laughing again. Steve sat back into his chair with a groan, sinking downward.

“What?” Sam joined them at the table, “is this a Steve and Tony thing?”

Steve sat up straight in his chair. “‘A Steve and Tony thing’?” He looked back and forth between his friends, “are you guys talking about me?”

Sam laughed nervously. “Of course, we talk about you, Cap. We care your well-being.”

“Steve and Tony fucked last night.” Bucky interjected without any preamble, causing Steve to groan again and cover his face.

Sam chuckled. “Of course, they did. They’re at a private resort for a wedding.”

“You know, Cap,” Bucky leaned forward to sip from his coffee mug, “this coupled with the whole couple suite fiasco, I’m surprised you guys haven’t fucked _more_ than once.”

“Buck!” Steve shook his head as he sat up straight in his chair again.

“What couple suite fiasco?” Sam placed a hand on Bucky’s shoulder as the latter began laughing again.

Steve groaned once more instead of answering Sam, causing Sam to lean toward him. “_What_ couple suite fiasco, Steve?" He repeated sternly.

Bucky sipped from his mug again. “The resort staff forgot to change the living arrangements at the last minute and put Tony and Steve in a couple suite.”

Sam’s eyes grew big as he gawked at Steve. “Cap! Why didn’t you say anything?”

Steve sighed as he sat back in his chair again. “Sam, I already made a big deal about bringing Tony along.”

Sam shrugged. “So? Where have you been sleeping?” The question provoked Bucky to laugh even louder than before.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Out in the living room area…”

“Well…” Bucky started again, “_besides_ last night.”

Steve groaned as he leaned forward to place his head in his hands again. Sam reached over to pat him on his back.

“Cap, what’s up? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

Steve sighed as he slowly looked up at his friends. “I don’t think Tony wants the same thing. We got into a huge fight this morning…I tried telling him that I wanted to be friends—”

Both Sam and Bucky interrupted Steve with a collective groan.

Bucky shook his head. “You told him, after having sex the night before, that you wanted to be friends? Damn, Cap.”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, Steve…that’s cold…”

Steve looked back and forth between Bucky and Sam again, his expression becoming more distraught.

“What else was I supposed to do? Everything was fine until this morning…he thought I just wanted sex from him…”

“Why would he think that, Cap?” Sam asked.

Steve sighed. “I forgot that had I told him before coming out here that I wasn’t looking for a relationship…but I had said it because he thought he was the reason why Sharon and I weren’t seeing each other anymore…”

Both Sam and Bucky winced, paired with a “damn, dude” and a “yikes”. Steve groaned again.

Sam placed a hand on Steve’s back. “Look, Steve. You need to be honest with yourself and Tony about what you want, otherwise the two of you will just be going around in circles.”

“Steve,” Bucky started, “we already talked about this, but you gotta talk to Tony.”

Steve slowly nodded, trying to process the events from the night before until that morning. The night before, Tony seemed willing to start over, but something about him suggesting they just have sex bothered Steve.

“Yeah…I know…” Steve finally let out.

Sam nodded as Bucky clapped his hands together. “Hey, let’s try to enjoy Sam’s last day of freedom.”

Steve smiled slightly. “Yeah, I’m sorry, Sam.”

Sam shook his head as he patted Steve on the back again. “Steve, it’s okay. I’m glad I have you guys here to support me. It means a lot. Also, I don’t mind giving you relationship advice.” He winked at Steve.

Steve shook his head, but he managed to smile although it was painful. “No, I know what I need to do. Let’s enjoy today.” He reached over to rub Sam’s arm before Bucky launched into which resort activities they should check out before getting ready for the wedding.

* * *

_Later that afternoon…_

“Hey, Tony.” Tony turned to see Shuri walk into the conference room T’Challa had set aside for the team to work on Synergy. The rest of the team would be arriving the next day for the wedding, so Tony, Shuri, and Steve would be video conferencing with the rest of the team with Fury.

“Hey, Shuri.” Tony responded, albeit not as cheerfully as he was apt to do.

Tony had been working on the Synergy device and reviewing his dad’s schematics after arguing with Steve earlier that morning. He was beginning to regret accepting Steve’s invitation to the bridal party getaway; he was confused by what Steve wanted, but then again he was also confused about what he himself wanted.

The night before had been amazing, there was no denying that. Tony had never felt so close to someone before. However, based on his own actions since they started speaking again, Tony was beginning to think he wasn’t right for Steve. Something about Steve made him feel exposed, more exposed than he had ever been with anyone, but Tony couldn’t seem to handle that vulnerability gracefully as he tried to get back some semblance of a relationship with Steve.

“How was your night?” Shuri asked as she joined Tony on the other side of the conference table.

Tony stared at her as she approached, not entirely sure if she knew about what had happened between him and Steve.

“Uh, it was nice.” Tony tried.

“Great!” Shuri patted him on the shoulder, “I’m glad you liked the party. T’Challa has a habit of going overboard sometimes.”

Tony laughed nervously, relieved that Shuri seemed unaware of last night.

“Hi, everyone.” Steve had walked into the conference room.

“Hey, Steve.” Shuri waved at Steve before turning toward the projector to set up the call with Fury.

Tony nodded at Steve to which Steve nodded back; they hadn’t seen each other since that morning. Tony gulped as he quickly turned away from Steve; he knew he would have to talk to Steve soon, but he was dealing with too many emotions to articulate himself without getting upset again.

“Okay,” Shuri started, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room, “I’m patching Fury and the team through now…”

The group then huddled in front of the projection on the wall as the call connected. Soon after, Fury appeared on the screen, flanked on both sides by Bruce, Clint, Natasha, and Thor.

“How’s the resort?” Clint wedged himself between Fury and the screen.

Shuri chuckled. “Eh, I’ve been here so many times, but I think everyone is having a nice time.” She looked at Tony before looking at Steve, both mumbling about how nice the resort was.

Fury tapped Clint’s shoulder to get him to move to the side. “Okay, let’s get to business, shall we? He then shared the screen with images of Thanos’s lab after the raid, “we raided Thanos’s lab after an anonymous tip, but we came up short.”

Tony stepped up to the projection to study the images. “Nothing?”

Fury nodded. “We found some chemical traces, but it appears that Thanos knew we were on to him.”

Tony nodded back, crossing his arms with a sigh. “Okay, well I don’t need to remind everyone that that doesn’t give us much time before he decides to use this thing, “he turned to face Shuri, “I know you and Banner said you need a few more weeks, but is there any way we can use the device in the meantime if necessary?”

Shuri nodded slowly as she looked at the screen. “I emailed Bruce about this…we can finish the first round of safeguards here at the resort, but it won’t be a hundred percent complete.”

“It’ll be stable enough for a small attack…so it’ll still emit the reactionary blast,” Bruce added, “but like I said, if Thanos is planning for something big, we’re risking the device’s stability.”

Tony nodded. “I think that’s a risk we’re going to have to take if Thanos is on the move. Banner, could you bring the team’s safety uniforms to the resort in case?”

Bruce nodded back at Tony. “Sure, Tony.”

“Everyone else,” Tony motioned toward the team on the screen, “I guess I’ll see you at the ceremony tomorrow.”

The group said their goodbyes before Shuri ended the call. Tony rounded the conference table but in doing so he accidentally locked eyes with Steve before the two looked away quickly.

Shuri unlocked a secure cabinet to retrieve the Synergy device. “So, I’ll just work on the device a bit before we have to rehearse later tonight.”

Tony cleared his throat. “I can help you, Shuri.”

Shuri nodded before turning to face Steve. “I’ll see you at rehearsal, Steve.” She said with a smile.

Steve nodded back returning the expression. “Sounds good.” He then looked around awkwardly before spinning around to exit the room without saying goodbye to Tony.

Shuri watched Steve leave before turning toward Tony. “I’m sure everyone’s been giving you their own opinion about this, Tony, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m pulling for you and Steve. I really hope everything works out.”

Tony felt the color drain from his face. His mouth bobbed open a few times as he tried to answer, now feeling his face turn red.

“Uh…thanks, Shuri…” He then shook his head, trying to grin to mask his true feelings, “I’m not used to getting relationship advice from you young people.”

Shuri laughed. “Well, I may be in my late twenties, but I think I know a thing or two.” She winked at Tony before pulling out her tool kit to work on the device.

Tony watched her, feeling somewhat thankful that Shuri cared about him, although it was becoming frustrating that everyone did have their own opinions about his relationship with Steve when he was still trying to figure out what he wanted from Steve.

“Okay,” Shuri started up again as she opened up the device, “let’s see what we can finish before leaving this resort…”

* * *

_That early evening…_

As Steve walked through the lobby of his suite’s building, he thought about the conversation he had with Bruce about Tony after the first failed simulation run-through with the Synergy device. During their conversation, Bruce hadn’t mentioned anything specific to him, but Steve did remember that Bruce had tried to explain that Tony had been dealing with a lot and Steve just needed to be patient with him.

Steve had taken the advice to heart; it became apparent, as their relationship progressed, that Tony had lingering issues he was trying to address, but Steve had developed some patience in trying to maneuver difficult conversations with Tony.

As Steve stepped into the elevator, he knew he cared about Tony and wanted him in his life. He hadn’t regretted last night; he missed Tony, too. But from their argument, it felt like Tony wasn’t willing to commit. Steve knew Tony was keeping him at a distance; he thought that maybe if he communicated to Tony how much he cared about him, maybe that would show Tony that he could be vulnerable with him again.

Steve walked into the foyer as the doors opened. He walked through the suite until he found Tony standing out on the balcony, sipping from a glass of water. Steve took in two deep breaths before walking out onto the balcony, stopping short at the entrance.

“Hey.” Steve said quietly, causing Tony to turn somewhat to acknowledge him.

“Steve…” Tony hung his head as Steve joined him at the railing, but stayed at a distance, “…I’m not really sure what we’re both trying to get out of this…”

Steve sighed as he turned to lean his back up against the railing. “Tony…I really do miss you, I meant that when I said it…”

Tony turned slowly to face Steve again, but he didn’t respond. Steve sighed as he searched for better way to explain himself.

“Tony, we’re close…there’s no denying that…I just want you in my life, that’s all.” Steve made sure to definitively punctuate the end of his sentence to convey his sincerity.

Tony nodded as he looked down and away from Steve. Steve waited, not sure if he should add more.

“I want that, too…Steve…I just…” Tony cut himself off, still looking away from Steve.

“…there are just some things I…need to figure out…okay…? Tony added without looking back at Steve.

Steve nodded slowly, feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, however he knew it was no use trying to force Tony into something he didn’t want.

“Okay…” Steve started, “please talk to me when you’re ready, okay?”

Tony finally turned to face Steve. Steve could tell from his facial expression that he was internally struggling with something.

“Okay…” Tony answered after a moment.

Steve stared back at Tony, feeling the urge to hold him again like he had last night.

“I…uh…” Steve pointed behind himself, “we have to rehearse a bit for the ceremony tomorrow…and also in the morning…so, I think I might hang out in Bucky and Sam’s suite tonight…”

Tony nodded. “Okay…” His voice cracked.

Steve nodded again as he waited before turning to the leave the balcony, stopping for a second, thinking he should say more, before walking inside. He continued inside anyway, telling himself that he needed to give himself and Tony some space.

* * *

**PART TWO**

_The next morning…_

Tony meandered through the restaurant, instantly spotting Rhodey at their table. Tony waved as he walked over. The two friends were meeting for breakfast at one of the resort’s many and diverse restaurants.

“Hey, Tone.” Rhodey greeted Tony with a hug before sitting back down in his chair.

Tony sat across from Rhodey. “How was the drive in?”

Rhodey nodded with a yawn. “It was a little tiring. I almost missed my flight in from D.C., but Pepper and I managed to get in with some time to spare.”

Tony waved at a waiter. “Well, I bet you’re still having a better weekend than me.”

Rhodey expressed confusion before settling. “I mean…you do look a little miserable…what’s going on?”

Tony sighed. “It’s just shit with Steve, per usual.”

Tony watched Rhodey’s face morph into that all-too-serious expression that Tony swore to god Rhodey only reserved for him.

“Talk to me, Tone.”

Tony shook his head, not really sure where to start. “I don’t know what he wants…we, uh,” he paused, rolling his eyes, “we…uh…slept together the other night…”

“Really? What’s the hold up then?” Tony could tell that Rhodey was trying to walk the balance between being happy for him and concerned.

“Remember that person he was seeing?” Tony continued, “Steve told me on the phone before we came out here that they broke up and that he wasn’t looking for a relationship…”

Tony then groaned as he rested his elbows on top of the table to place his head into his hands. “I have no idea what he wants…” he repeated, “then yesterday he told me he just wanted to be friends and that us sleeping together was a mistake. Like, who does that?”

Rhodey leaned forward. “Tone, I don’t know if you remember this, but remember when you thought you had moved too fast with Steve after you made out after that party at Thor’s?”

Tony groaned as soon as he remembered the drunk kiss he had shared with Steve that night. “Okay, yeah?”

“Steve never seemed like the type to take things lightly…I bet he’s struggling with how to show you that he cares about you without pushing you away. You guys always seemed like you clicked…actually, and I said this on the way here with Pepper, I always thought you guys were going to get married…”

Tony’s insides twisted in on themselves as Rhodey continued. “…you seemed happy when you were with Steve, Tone. The happiest I have ever seen you since I’ve known you. I know you guys have been through a lot and it sounds like things are still complicated, to say the least, but you deserve the best, Tony. You should let yourself have it.”

Although he wasn’t in the mood to hear it, Tony appreciated Rhodey’s sentiment. He hung his head, fiddling around with the cutlery.

“I don’t think I’m right for Steve…when we were dating, we had our rough moments…but now I can’t seem to figure out what I want from him…I used to take my time with him, but now I can’t even seem to act normal around him…I don’t know what to do…”

Rhodey nodded. “Well, do you want him around?”

Tony stared at Rhodey as if he didn’t understand the question. “What?”

“Do you want Steve in your life, Tony?” I think you need to answer that for yourself.”

Tony nodded slowly; he did want Steve around. Tony wanted to be with Steve; it had always been more than just sex with him, but Tony had trouble letting go of some of things he had said to Steve while they were together and after they broke up. Afterall, he was the reason why they didn’t speak for a year. Steve deserved better than constantly going back and forth over their relationship.

“Tony?”

Tony nodded as he reached for his coffee, still not sure what he wanted. “Thanks for the advice, Rhodes…”

Rhodey stared intently at Tony, seemingly on the verge of making Tony be honest with him right there while he was trying to enjoy breakfast. But eventually he backed off as his expression changed.

“Yeah, of course, Tone.”

* * *

_Later that early afternoon…_

It was finally time for the wedding ceremony and Steve and Tony had managed to avoid each other until the guests gathered at the venue. The ceremony was outside on a verdant patch close to the water. Everyone in the bridal party was wearing their whitest whites while the guests wore less formal attire to match the beachy scene.

Tony walked up to the setup with Rhodey and Pepper, finding Bruce and Natasha already seated. They sat down, chatting for a bit, coupled in pairs with Tony sitting directly in the middle. As he listened to his friends, all he could think about was that the day had finally arrived where his friends were in great, healthy relationships and he had just gotten into an argument with his ex-boyfriend after having sex.

After some time as the rest of the guests filtered in, the ambient noise hushed as music began playing. Everyone turned as they watch the bridal party walk through the space and up to the altar. Tony trained his eyes forward once Steve appeared, paired up with one of Shuri’s best friends before splitting apart to stand at the front on opposite ends.

Sam appeared next, walking with Shuri and T’Challa’s mother, Ramonda. They walked to the front before Ramonda sat down in her designated seat. The music faded then changed to indicate that Shuri was next to appear. She walked out, holding arms with T’Challa, both wearing the most elegant traditional attire appropriate for a modern Wakandan wedding.

T’Challa waved at everyone, smiling, clearly happy to be giving his sister away. They walked up to Sam who was standing next to a Wakandan minister at the altar. T’Challa gave both Sam and Shuri a hug before sitting down next to his mother.

The ceremony progressed with a mixture of certain Wakandan rituals. Tony struggled keeping his eyes on Sam and Shuri; out of the corner of his eye, he could see Steve standing off to the side next to Bucky.

The minister then asked for Sam and Shuri to share their wedding vows. Sam cleared his throat before laughing to himself.

“So, I just wanted to say that I feel dumb that I didn’t know who you were the first time we met…” The comment earned laughter from the guests.

“…but I’m glad we did meet…you’re down to earth and the most intelligent person I know…”

He continued with some more lines about cherishing Shuri and being there for her during the rough times. As Sam concluded, Tony accidentally looked over at Steve.

Shuri smiled at Sam as she said her vows. “…and I want to promise you that I’ll always be a good partner and that we’re in this together, Sam, until the very end…”

At that point, Steve had looked over at Tony, both looking at the other as Shuri finished. Something about the way Steve was looking at him choked Tony up, so much so that he had to physically turn in his seat to look away from Steve.

The rest of the ceremony proceeded naturally with the minister ending to allow Sam and Shuri to cement their union with a kiss. Sam took a hold of Shuri, dipping her as he kissed her, making her laugh while receiving joyous cheers coupled with clapping from the guests. The bridal party then filed into a line before walking out. T’Challa stayed behind to instruct everyone to gather at a nearby canopied area for the reception.

Tony walked in a group with Bruce, Natasha, Rhodey, and Pepper. He looked around as they approached the reception, trying to avoid Steve as much as possible. The live band began playing while the bridal party ushered out to the middle of the space to dance.

At one point, Steve took a break to stand off to the side of the group. Tony could see him from where he was sitting on the other side of the space. Sam got the band to start playing a version of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”, waving for Bucky and Steve to dance. Tony watched Bucky trying to get Steve to join everyone, but Steve was shaking his head. He looked over in Tony’s direction, his expression becoming too much for Tony to handle…

* * *

Steve looked away from Tony as he finally let Bucky drag him back to the dance area. He had been watching Tony the entire time during the ceremony and ever since the reception started, but he told himself that he needed to relax and let Tony come to him when he was ready.

He danced with Bucky and Sam for a bit as everyone else danced around them, dancing to a few more songs before everyone took their time walking back to their tables. As he walked toward his reserved table, Steve had noticed that Tony was no longer sitting at his table.

Steve looked around hurriedly before spotting Rhodey chatting with Fury and his wife.

“Hey, Rhodey,” Steve patted Rhodey on the shoulder as soon as he reached the group, “do you know where Tony went?”

Rhodey nodded as he pointed away from the group. “Uh, yeah. He said something about needing to go back to your guys’s suite.”

Steve patted Rhodey on the shoulder again, thanking him before quickly walking out from underneath the canopy. He jogged toward the suite’s building, jogging through the lobby, and accessing the elevator quickly. As the elevator opened into the foyer, Steve searched around the space, finding Tony in the bedroom packing his clothes.

“Hey,” Steve entered the room, “don’t tell me you’re thinking about leaving already.” He tried for a casual and playful tone despite the tension.

Tony turned to look at him. He looked worn, but he was smiling a little. “I, uh, actually…since this shit with Thanos is coming to ahead, I think I might just go back into the city early…I have a prototype autopiloted helicopter that I just synced with J.A.R.V.I.S…” He answered, shrugging.

Steve shifted back and forth on his feet as he crossed his arms. “I can go back with you, Tony, if you want.”

Tony’s smile widened a little, but then he shook his head. “No, your buddy just got married. You should really hang out here, Rogers.”

Steve smiled as he walked toward Tony. “I don’t mind really…they’re staying here for a couple more days before Shuri and Sam leave for their honeymoon, so I can always come back…” He offered quietly.

Tony looked to be considering the proposal, but then he shook his head again. “As appealing as that sounds, it’s totally okay, Rogers. Thank you though.”

Steve nodded, taking another step toward Tony. He knew he needed to give him some more time, but he felt compelled in the moment to show Tony how much he cared about him.

“Steve,” Tony took a step away from him, “I don’t think I can do this…I thought I could, but I can’t. It’s difficult enough working with you every day. I can’t even function normally whenever you smile. I totally screwed up, but I knew—know that this can’t work.”

“What can’t work, Tony?” Steve asked quietly.

Tony sighed. “Pepper told me once that I was attentive and caring when she and I first started dating. I feel—felt closer to you…and I even told you about my relationship with my dad…” he sniffled, “but then I accused you of sleeping around with your best friend…I yelled at you over my dad’s diary…I’m not secure enough to have a honest conservation with you…of course, we were never going to work…”

Steve nodded as he listened. Tony sniffled again. “Everything was barely fine before we broke up, I just made it worse. I don’t even think we can be friends...I’m not…good for you, Steve.”

Steve shook his head as he walked toward Tony again. “Tony, please, I don’t know why you keep saying that.”

Tony shook his head, recoiling as Steve continued toward him. “I couldn’t even keep my hands to myself now…I was trying to be careful in the beginning, to let you know it wasn’t just about sex, but I can’t even do that right…”

Steve shook his head again as he finally met Tony, placing his hands on his arms rubbing them gently.

“Steve,” Tony looked upward slightly at him, “I’m not good for you.”

Steve’s jaw hardened as he continued rubbing Tony’s arms. “Please, Tony. That’s not true.”

Tony looked away from Steve before looking back up at him again. Steve looked at him intently until he leaned inward, with Tony doing the same. Tony then kissed Steve as he kissed him back with Tony’s hands traveling up Steve’s backside as Steve pulled him close to his body.

They stayed like this for a second or so before Tony pulled away. “I’m sorry, Steve…I have to go. I’m sorry…” He whispered before letting go.

Steve let go of Tony knowing that he did all he could, but it still didn’t seem to work. Tony grabbed his suitcase before rushing out the bedroom much like he had after their last argument. Steve watched Tony leave before sitting on the edge of the bed again.

He sat there for quite some time before rising to get back down to the lobby and the reception. As he arrived in the lobby, he found Bucky waiting for him.

“Hey, Cap...” Bucky began, looking concerned for his friend.

Steve shook his head, wiping his eyes as Bucky walked up to him to pat him on the shoulder.

“I tried, Buck, but…” Steve let out, but couldn’t finish.

Bucky nodded as he directed Steve to sit with him on one of the sofa sections in the lobby. Steve told Bucky what had happened between him and Tony. After listening for some time, Bucky sighed.

“I’m really sorry about you and Tony, Steve…” he paused, “…we should rally for Sam…”

“Yeah…you’re right…” Steve nodded slowly as he rose from the sofa to stand with Bucky. Bucky let Steve walk ahead of him before sighing heavily again.

“Steve,” Bucky groaned before continuing, “I should have talked to you about this, but I talked to Sharon about you and Tony after you guys first went out…”

Steve nodded as he turned around to face Bucky. “Yeah, I know, Buck. She told me.”

“So…she told you what I said?”

Steve shrugged as he tried to figure out what Bucky was trying to get at. “All she told me was that you mentioned we used to be serious…”

Bucky rolled his eyes dramatically as he rested his hands on his hips. He looked downward before looking up as his friend.

“When you were in the hospital after that lab explosion…I kind of got into it with Tony…” Bucky sighed again, looking away from Steve, “but we talked and…it was _so_ obvious that he was in love with you…” he then turned to face Steve, “…it’s still obvious…”

Steve shook his head as he backed away from Bucky, but he persisted. “I mean, I’ll admit I had issues with Tony in the beginning...but I see that you two care about each other. I can tell that you’re both supposed to be together, Cap…”

Steve shook his head again. “Buck, Tony told me he doesn’t think he’s good for me.”

Bucky shrugged. “You know him better than I do, but from the way I saw you two before you broke up and the way I see you guys now…there’s something…” he took a step toward Steve, “don’t give up just yet, Cap. Give him some time.”

Steve looked directly at Bucky who was expressing his sincerity.

“Honestly, Steve…what do you have to lose?”

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Obadiah gasped for air as soon as the hood over his head lifted. He struggled, realizing that he was tied to a chair. He kept gasping for air as his eyes adjusted to the change in light, seeing that he was in a tiny room with Thanos and one of his daughters.

“It’s nice for you to join us, Stane.” Thanos walked up to Obadiah’s chair as he struggled.

“W-what’s going on?” Obadiah gasped.

Thanos tossed a copy of Howard’s schematics onto Obadiah’s lap.

“I think you owe us an explanation.” Thanos answered sharply.

Obadiah looked back and forth between Thanos and his daughter. _Where’s the other one? Gamora? I think?_

“I-I uh, well…” Obadiah looked down at the schematics, “I really can’t do much if my hands are tied.”

Thanos motioned for Nebula to untie Obadiah. He tried to sit up, but she held him down with one hand, standing behind the chair.

“Read it.” Nebula commanded, “you said you knew what he was referring to.”

Obadiah looked back and forth between Thanos and Nebula before looking down at the schematic.

“Well…ah!” He smiled up at Thanos, “this must have been a reference to the core.”

Nebula slapped Obadiah on the back of his head, causing him to yelp loudly.

“He’s lying.” Nebula seethed, “let’s get rid of him now.”

Thanos chuckled before looking down directly at Obadiah. Obadiah smiled unnervingly at him.

“No,” Thanos started, grinning widely which accentuated the scar on his chin, “I have a better job for you.”

Obadiah took a moment before sighing with relief. “Okay, great.”

“Roosevelt Island.” Thanos started as he backed away from Obadiah, “I need you to take the weapon there for the tech conference.”

Obadiah’s eyes widened as he looked back and forth between Nebula and Thanos again. “What? But, uh, what if…it explodes on the way there? You can’t possibly think that’s a good idea…”

Thanos stared at Obadiah for a long dramatic pause before laughing hysterically.

“You better hope for your own sake, it doesn’t.”

* * *

“J.A.R.V.I.S., please, the silence is killing me…”

Tony was in his autopiloted helicopter on his way back into the city, thankful he didn’t have to pilot the damn thing because he was too upset about Steve.

“What would you like to hear, Sir?”

“I don’t know, anything, please.” Tony groaned back as he rested forward with his elbows on the control board.

Soon Seinabo Sey’s “You” began playing, instantly making Tony’s eyes well up right on que; this was one of his favorite songs, so he knew the lyrics all too well.

He knew he wasn’t right for Steve; he had made the right decision. However, as the song played on, and Tony was unable or unwilling to change it, he began crying, thinking about Steve. Maybe his friends were right.

_But then why does it feel like we want different things?_

He thought he had made the right decision, but now that decision seemed like another mistake. He wanted to be with Steve, but then he remembered how he had treated Pepper and everyone else. He didn’t want that to happen to Steve.

As the song neared the end, Tony looked out over the water as the helicopter approached the city. Tony had been the most open with Steve, the most open he’s ever been with anyone he’s ever dated or known.

_…can I make this work…?_


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this story begins to wind down, I just wanted to thank everyone who's been reading for sticking with this story. Also, I'll add this after the last chapter, but this story is only the first in a series installment focused on this alternative universe's Steve and Tony, so stayed tuned!
> 
> \--lady_slice
> 
> P.S. I edited some of the past chapters for clarity, so I apologize for any spelling/grammar/continuity errors!!

_The next weekend…_

“Mr. Stane?”

Obadiah blinked a few times, hearing a voice call his name, but instead of responding, he tightened his grip on the briefcase he was holding.

“Could you follow me this way, please?” The voice asked.

“Oh, what?” Obadiah snapped back to reality as he realized that one of the tech conference staffers was trying to get his attention.

The staffer motioned for Obadiah to follow him. “Could you follow me this way, please, Mr. Stane?" He repeated with a genuine smile.

Obadiah nodded as he followed the staffer inside one of Middleton University’s main buildings connected to the roof helicopter landing pad. Roosevelt Island included an extension of the university’s campus that focused on technology and innovation, and it was also the site of the international tech conference that would officially begin that evening.

Obadiah followed the staffer through the building and past the main event area before arriving at a nicely furnished conference room.

“We didn’t think we would have any showing from Stark Industries this year, so it’s wonderful to have you here, sir.” The staffer continued as he showed Obadiah into the room.

Obadiah nodded as he walked inside, too anxious and jumbled to remark that the conference room didn’t have the same amenities he typically enjoyed at one of these events.

The staffer stayed at the entrance to the room, watching Obadiah round the table. “Will, uh, Mr. Stark be here also? I know he has a super busy schedule…”

Obadiah stared up at the staffer. “What?” He shook his head, “no, unfortunately not.”

The staffer nodded slowly before pointing behind himself. “Okay, well, let me know if you need anything else. The keynote is scheduled for later this evening…uh, and we’ll have you do a presentation on the Stark Facial Convertor tomorrow afternoon, if that still works?”

Obadiah glanced hurriedly around the room before acknowledging the staffer again. “Yes, thank you.” He answered sharply.

The staffer nodded back slowly again before backing out of the room, thanking Obadiah once more for participating in the conference. Obadiah groaned loudly as soon as the door closed. He then placed the briefcase he was carrying carefully on top of the table. He inhaled deeply, reminding himself to remain calm, thankful he had made it to the island without any incident. He took a moment, breathing deeply, his hands trembling as he opened the briefcase.

There inside, nestled in some shock resistance material that wouldn’t do much if it did explode, was Thanos’s super weapon.

Obadiah counted to steady himself before taking out his phone, tapping on it a few times before he reached Pepper’s number. He waited as the phone rang twice before Pepper answered.

“Virginia? Tomorrow, I’ll be at the press event at Stark Tower before flying back to the conference to give a presentation on Anthony’s face thing…”

Obadiah rolled his eyes as he listened to Pepper a bit longer before gruffly saying goodbye and hanging up.

The plan was for Obadiah to deliver Thanos’s weapon to the island, yet Obadiah wasn’t too clear on the details; both Thanos and Nebula had been extremely cryptic when they kidnapped him and forced him to carry out this task.

Obadiah had been told that after leaving the weapon at the tech conference, one of Thanos’s associates would pick up the weapon for safe keeping. Obadiah wasn’t sure what the point was taking the weapon to Roosevelt Island in the first place; he thought it would be best for Thanos to lie low after the S.H.I.E.L.D. raid so Obadiah could diplomatically redirect Stark Industries’ efforts into full weapon contracting with Thanos and his scientists secretly working on building weapons for the company.

Nebula had assured him that the weapon was stable when not in motion, so Obadiah decided to leave the briefcase in a niche under a counter in the conference room. Before arriving, the tech conference staffers had agreed to providing high-profile participants with high-tech secure rooms.

Obadiah inhaled then exhaled deeply, closing the briefcase before carefully placing it on the floor to slide into the niche. He locked the secure look on the briefcase before straightening himself out and calmy walking out of the room.

At the press event before the conference presentation tomorrow, Obadiah planned to announce new plans for Stark Industries while Thanos’s contact was scheduled to picked up the weapon. The press event was the last move Obadiah needed to make before gaining majority control over the company.

* * *

_The following morning…_

Tony looked out the window in his office at Stark Industries, telling himself that he needed to do what he should have done a long time ago. His mind whirled before the inevitable knock at his door interrupted his mental entanglement. Tony turned as the door cracked open to reveal Steve.

“You wanted to see me, Tony?”

Tony nodded as he motioned for Steve to come further into his office as he stayed near the window. Steve took two steps forward, remaining closer toward the door.

“Uh,” Tony shrugged, “how was the rest of the trip?” He asked as he crossed his arms.

Tony hadn’t seen Steve since leaving the reception early. He had also been working mostly at Stark Industries after work hours to avoid seeing Steve at Stark Enterprises as the team finished up the last round of safeguards on the Synergy device.

Steve stared at Tony before resting his hands on his hips. “It was fine.”

Tony nodded again, uncrossing his arms as he walked over to his desk. He knew he shouldn’t have left Steve at the resort reeling from rejection, but he needed the space to think, this time being more assured about what he wanted from Steve.

“Look, Steve I—”

“Tony,” Steve took in a deep breath, “please, I need to say this first…” He looked downward at the floor before looking back up at Tony, causing Tony to feel the same way he had the last time they slept together.

“I meant everything I said to you the last time I saw you…but I should be honest with you…” he paused, “I had asked you to go with me on the trip because I miss you so much…and you’re right…I don’t think I can be friends with you either…”

As he listened to Steve, Tony choked back on that persistent sob that continued to form in the base of his throat whenever he become emotional about Steve. He nodded back a little too vigorously, looking downward and away from Steve.

A strained silence appeared between them as Tony fought internally with himself, half accepting he had definitively missed his chance with Steve.

“…I, uh…understand, Steve…” Tony started, trying to remain calm, telling himself not to give up, “but—”

“I also understand,” Steve continued, reaching for the earpiece Tony had given the team after they resumed Synergy operations at Stark Enterprises, “if this means you don’t want me on Synergy…”

Tony shook his head as he took a step toward Steve. “No, of course I want you on the team, Steve.”

Steve nodded. “Okay…that means a lot…” his expression changed, “uh, I’m sorry…but what did you want to talk to me about?”

Tony nodded, trying to focus on exactly what he wanted to say, but it sounded like whatever he had to say wouldn’t matter now that Steve seemed closed off to him.

_…no…I have to tell him…_

“Steve…” Tony stepped toward Steve, feeling his eyes well up with tears, “I…I…” he struggled, stopping to stand in the middle of the office.

“…I…” Tony looked down at the floor before looking up at Steve, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

_…I can do this…_

“…Steve…I…screwed up…” Tony began crying to the point that his body could no longer restrain itself.

“I’m so sorry…I screwed up…” he repeated, “I didn’t realize…I didn’t realize what we had until it was too late…I am so sorry….please forgive me…” He looked directly at Steve who also looked exhausted and emotional. Steve took a step forward, but Tony shook his head, trying to signal that he wasn’t finished.

“I’m not okay, Steve…before I met you…only two things made sense to me and that was working in the lab and taking care of Peter…” he paused as another cascade of tears flooded down his face, “…Steve, being with you scares the shit out of me—but not because you’re terrible…it’s because you’re wonderful and you just so happen to be really fucking hot,” he tried for a joke, but the seriousness of the conversation squelched any hilarity, “…everything about you makes me feel exposed and I’m not used to letting my guard down with someone…not like I have with you…”

Steve had been listening, nodding back slowly as he let Tony finish.

“…this is probably the reason why it’s taken me so long to be in a serious relationship…or even make one work…” Tony admitted, looking away from Steve as he forced down the sob in his throat again before turning to look directly at him again.

“…I am not…okay…Steve…” Tony repeated, his voice trembling.

Steve nodded back again, taking his time approaching Tony. “Tony, I understand how you feel, but please also remember that you’re amazing…” he smiled at Tony as he took another step toward him, “you’re a great dad,” he took one more step forward, “and a great friend and teammate, Tony.”

Tony nodded as he could feel more tears running down his face. He held still, watching Steve continue toward him before pulling him into a secure hug, which Tony gratefully accepted. He hugged Steve close against his body.

“…I’m so sorry…Steve…”

Steve squeezed Tony’s body before tilting his head to degree to look downward. “Tony, I forgive you, but I should have made it easier for you to talk to me…”

Tony shook his head. “No, I messed up, Steve. I got scared and ran away. I left you…you would never do that to me…”

Steve waited before leaning inward to kiss Tony. “Tony, just know that I’m here for you, okay? We have to be a team, like always.” He kissed Tony again.

Tony nodded, kissing Steve back, feeling the continuing deluge of unrestrained tears. He felt a sensation in his chest, but it wasn’t as distressing as the other times when the feeling emerged. Actually, this time, Tony realized that it was just his body’s way of telling him that he felt close to Steve, closer than he’s ever been with anyone.

Tony placed his hands on Steve’s face to look at him directly. “Steve,” he smiled as he finally found the courage to say what he had been wanting to say for the longest time, “I should have said this to you a long time ago, but I l—”

“Stark. Rogers.” Fury’s voice appeared suddenly in both Tony and Steve’s earpieces, “we need the both of you at S.H.I.E.L.D., ASAP. We got Thanos.”

Both Tony and Steve looked at each other as Tony tapped on his earpiece. “We’re on our way.” He answered in time with Steve letting go of him before jogging out of the office. Tony grabbed his tablet on his desk before quickly following Steve.

* * *

Not too long after, the entire Synergy team gathered at the round table at the helm of the command center at S.H.I.E.L.D. to meet with Fury before interrogating Thanos.

“So…” Tony started, “he didn’t say anything?” He was standing next to Bruce and Thor.

Fury shook his head. “Nope. He only wants to talk to you, Stark,” he turned to look at Steve who was sitting at the table, “and Rogers. Didn’t say why, but I bet it probably has something to do with the promotional tour.”

Steve leaned forward in his seat. “How did you manage to track him down, Fury?” He was sitting next to Natasha, Clint, and Shuri who had cut her honeymoon short to fly back into the city after the team found out about Thanos.

Fury sighed, facing the group before motioning toward Agent Hill. She nodded back before briskly leaving the helm.

“…after we raided Thanos’s lab…” Fury began, slowly facing the group once more, “I noticed that something was off about the coordinates…but it didn’t dawn on me until we found the chemical traces that someone still working for Thanos had sent the coordinates…”

Fury turned to point a clicker he was now holding to project an image of the explosive the team had first encountered at Police Precinct 16. The team either gathered around the projection or stood up from the table to get a better view.

“…Loki finally confessed that he planted an explosive at the police precinct while Selvig damaged the Synergy device…the traces of that explosive matched the chemical traces we found at Thanos’s lab…and from there, we made some more connections…”

As Fury concluded, Agent Hill reappeared, walking ahead before stepping to the side to reveal a person most of the group didn’t recognize, except for Steve and Tony.

Tony flinched. “Hold the fuck up. What’s this about, Fury? This is one of Thanos’s daughters,” he pointed at Gamora, “Rogers and I met her out in Malibu.”

Fury stepped toward the table. “Gamora, here, sent the team that list of sequences and the coordinates to the lab. Once we made the connection, we had to get her into productive custody since we know that Thanos is prone to eliminating loose ends." He turned toward Gamora who nodded back.

“My father is dangerous and desperate…” Gamora started, taking a moment, “…I tried to stop him, but he’s too far gone.”

“Fury,” Steve started, “why didn’t you tell us about this?”

Fury looked at Steve, crossing his arms. “I didn’t say anything to you all when I had the hunch because I was pretty sure there was one last person involved…Loki finally fessed up whoever contacted him in the first place and let him back into Stark Tower the day of the lab explosion.”

Tony locked eyes with Fury, his face becoming flush with anger. “Obie.” He responded sharply before marching out of the space with Steve quickly following him.

Steve and Tony marched down the corridor, with Agent Hill following not too far behind, until they came upon one of the interrogation rooms. As they arrived at the one-way window, they could see someone with self-assured expression on his face restrained to the table, flanked by agents on both sides. Tony looked at Steve before pushing the interrogation room door open.

“Ah, Mr. Stark,” the restrained prisoner greeted as Tony and Steve walked inside the room, “and, Mr. Rogers.” His tone was unnerving.

“You can chill with the pleasantries, Thanos,” Tony responded curtly as he stood across the table from Thanos, “we know what you’re up to, and we know you’ve been using Stark Industries employees to do whatever the hell you’re trying to do. Tell us where this fucking super weapon is.”

Instead of responding right away, Thanos laughed. Tony sighed, looking over at Steve before slamming his fists on the table.

“I’m getting _really_ tired of the maniacal laughter. You better fucking talk, right now!” He stared directly at Thanos.

“Well,” Thanos began, “if you seem to know everything, you don’t need for me to inform you.”

Steve stepped forward to prevent Tony from trying to grab Thanos. “Why did you go through all that trouble to damage the Synergy device when you needed it to build your weapon in the first place?” He stepped in front of Tony to keep him behind him, “and why have Loki almost destroy it in the lab explosion?”

Thanos scoffed. “Loki tampering the device wasn’t part of the plan. He doesn’t have the grace that Dr. Selvig has with the device, hence the unnecessary lab explosion.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Answer the fucking question, Thanos.”

Thanos laughed to himself. “In the beginning, the point was to prove that Synergy was unstable, too unstable to justify your company, Mr. Stark, following through with a government contract. This allowed Mr. Stane to convince your board of such, thus delivering the device to me once the program was shut down,” he paused, “it _was_ to be a simple _and _straightforward plan, but, of course, one can only hope to find good help these days…”

Both Tony and Steve glanced at one another as Tony stepped toward the table, waiting for Thanos who appeared to be ruminating in his next thought, but remained silent.

“Why are you building the super weapon?” Steve asked.

Thanos grinned once more before relaxing his face. “Greed, Mr. Rogers. Absolute greed. You’ve said it yourself: our world is becoming more destructive by the minute. Your team thinks you can save humanity by saving others with Synergy, but I _know_ I can save humanity by destroying it and rebuilding it again. It must be done. Humans are selfish, so they must be destroyed."

Thanos’s chilling reasoning rendered everyone else in the room speechless, clearly disturbed by Thanos’s untenable grasp on reality. A second or two passed before Thanos began laughing to himself before the intensity of the laughter increasingly rose.

“Okay, okay,” Tony waved a hand around, “we get _it_. You’re a mad scientist hell bent on destroying the world. _How_ original.”

Thanos stopped laughing to grin at Tony. “You’ve wasted all your time here with me…” He vaguely explained.

“…Mr. Stane only served as a cog in the wheel. He wanted to take the company away from you, Mr. Stark, and would stop at nothing to do so. Once he handed over the device, I was planning to eliminate him…tying of up loose ends as it were. You know it goes.”

Tony scrunched up his face. “No, I do not.”

Thanos sighed as if he were already bored with the conversation. “Unfortunately, Mr. Stane failed in delivering us the device and its vibranium core, but I found a better use for him—”

Tony slammed his fists on the table again. “Just tell us where you stashed the damn weapon, Thanos.”

Thanos took a moment before finally answering. “Roosevelt Island. I told Mr. Stane that an associate of mine would be picking up the weapon for safe keeping, but of course…” he began to laugh again, his whole body shaking this time, “you’re too late. The weapon is rigged for termination.”

Tony straightened up, looking at Steve before rushing out of the room. Steve glared at Thanos before following Tony out.

“That fucking tech conference.” Tony said out loud and really to no one as he proceeded back to the command center.

“Fury,” Tony barged back onto the helm, “it’s the tech expo thing on Roosevelt Island. Thanos had Obie take the weapon there.”

Fury nodded sternly before motioning for his agents to file out. Tony turned to Bruce and Shuri. “Banner and Shuri, I need you with me at Stark Enterprises. We’ll get the device up and running as the rest of you grab your safety suits and head out to the island with Fury’s agents.”

Everyone responded quickly as they followed Tony’s orders, filing out of the command center to head in opposite directions.

“Steve, wait a sec,” Tony grabbed Steve’s arm before he could get further down the hallway, “I have to tell you something…”

Steve nodded as he turned to face Tony who took in a deep breath before continuing. “I should have told you this before…and I’m sorry it’s taken so long, but—”

“Rogers!” Clint appeared at the other end of the hallway, “we gotta go!” He waved for Steve as he shouted.

Steve nodded back at Clint before facing Tony again. “Is this something we can talk about later tonight after we disarm this thing?” He smiled as he rubbed Tony’s other arm.

Tony nodded slowly as he let go of Steve. “Uh yeah, sure…we’re, uh, talking tonight?” He teased.

Steve laughed as he turned to follow Clint. “Of course, I’ll see you at the island.” He then jogged down the hallway.

Tony watched him before jogging in the opposite direction to catch up with Shuri and Bruce.

* * *

_On Roosevelt Island…_

After finishing what they could with the Synergy device, Tony, Bruce, and Shuri piloted one of Tony’s helicopters to Roosevelt Island, radioing ahead to request permission to land on one of Middleton’s landing pads. As soon as the helicopter landed, they were met with an excited gang of conference staffers who hadn’t expected Tony to appear at their event.

“Mr. Stark!” One staffer greeted as soon as it was safe to approach the helicopter, “we’re so glad you could make it to our event!”

Tony smiled at the staffer, trying to walk the balance between amiability and not alarming everyone about Thanos’s explosive hidden somewhere on the campus.

“We know your CFO, Mr. Stane, is supposed to give the presentation for the converter…” the staffer motioned for the group to follow her inside, “but it would be so awesome if you could do it instead, Mr. Stark.”

Tony looked back at Bruce and Shuri before facing the staffer. “Sure, why not. Actually, something came up with my CFO. Where are we set up?”

The staffer nodded empathically. “We set Mr. Stane up in one of the nicer conference rooms, but we haven’t seen him since yesterday…”

Tony nodded. “Could you take us there, please?” He smiled, causing the staffer to blush.

“Yes, of course, Mr. Stark.” The staffer quickly motioned for everyone to follow her until they found the aforementioned conference room.

Tony thanked the staffer, waiting until he was alone with Bruce and Shuri to continue with their plan. “Shuri, can you let everyone else know we’re in this conference room?”

Shuri nodded, tapping on her earpiece to connect to the rest of the group.

“Okay, Banner…” Tony motioned for Bruce, “where do you think would be the best place to hide an unstable weapon?”

Bruce shook his head. “I don’t know, but we can use the device to generate some equipment to find it. Natasha has the equations for trackers S.H.I.E.L.D. uses.”

Tony patted Bruce on the shoulder. “Okay, let’s wait for the rest of the team to get here. In the meantime, let’s figure what we need to get people off this island.”

“Tony, wait,” Bruce placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder, “what about Obadiah?”

Tony nodded. “He’s supposed to be speaking to the press at Stark Tower. I radioed Pepper and Rhodey before coming out here…I don’t want to spook him and have him end up doing something drastic.”

Bruce nodded as the rest of the Synergy team appeared in the conference room. Tony gave everyone their respective tasks.

“…and let’s try not to alarm everyone while we’re here, shall we?” Tony concluded, before pointing to Steve.

“Rogers, you’re with me. I’m going to use this presentation on the face thing to calmly alert everyone about what’s happening.” Steve nodded as followed Tony out of the conference room.

They walked down the hallway before being greeting by a slew of more excited conference staffers before being ushered through another hallway that emptied out into a larger space where most of the tech companies had set up their stations.

One of the staffers rushed Tony up a temporary stage area as another walked up to the microphone to get everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, we have a special guest today,” the staffer started, motioning for Tony to join him at the mic, “I think you’ll all appreciate what an unexpected treat this will be.” He then started clapping as Tony waved at everyone as he stepped up to the microphone. Murmuring radiated from the crowd before it erupted into applause as soon as the conference attendees realized they were about to hear from Tony Stark.

“Hi everyone, nice to see you here…” Tony began, grinning.

“No one said Tony Stark would be here!” Someone in the crowd shouted.

“Speech!” Another voice followed up.

Tony held his hands up in halting position. “Sorry, everyone. I’m not here to give a speech. But,” he pointed to the exits, “I do need everyone to calmly walk out of the space. We have reason to believe that this place is rigged with a highly unstable explosive…”

Instead of responding physically, the crowd’s murmuring increased as everyone looked around, confused by Tony’s command.

Tony sighed as he backed away from the microphone. He looked over at Steve before continuing. “The trams to Manhattan stop running in an hour—”

But before Tony could punctuate the end of his sentence, the crowd began wildly scurrying toward the exits, completely ignoring Tony’s previous call for a calm exit. Some people started shouting about getting to the tram before it left. Several people shoved each other out of the way, knocking all the displays down in their path. A few of the attendees jumped over and under tables, and at one point there was a toddler, standing next to a knocked-over display, crying from all of the commotion.

Tony tapped on his earpiece, as he backed away from the microphone. “Romanov, Barton, and Thor, please be on the lookout for a herd of panicked nerds coming your way.” He then motioned for Steve to follow him off the stage, jogging back toward the conference room.

“I’m sure there was a better way to do that, Tony.” Steve added as they ran through the hallway.

Tony chuckled. “Don’t question my methods, Rogers.”

* * *

_Meanwhile at Stark Industries…_

Obadiah wore a broad, satisfied grin on his face as he waited for the press pool to settle. He straightened out his suit jacket before resting his hands on the podium in front of him, waiting to give his speech.

“Hello, everyone, I’m sure you’re excited to hear some great news today…” He paused before shuffling around some papers.

“…I would like to announce that Stark Industries is…,” but before he could continue, Obadiah felt someone brushed up against him to stand next to him on the podium. He stopped speaking to see that Pepper was now standing on the podium.

As it appeared that Pepper was there to stay, Obadiah looked at her before holding up a finger at the press pool, shielding the microphone with one hand.

“Virginia? Excuse me, you can see that I’m in the middle of something…”

“Obadiah, you’re fired, but that’s not the least of your problems.” Pepper answered coolly.

Obadiah, appearing a little taken aback, adjusted his jacket again, but he kept his hand on the microphone, grinning.

“Virginia, please. You’re not_ really_ the CEO of Stark Industries. You’re just a figurehead.”

Pepper only responded by inching closer toward Obadiah for effect. “Dr. Thanos gave you up, Obadiah. We know that you helped him plant the explosive on Roosevelt Island. So, back the fuck up or I’ll have Fury’s agents arrest you here on this podium.”

Obadiah flinched, but Pepper’s expression never wavered. He then looked past her to see Agent Coulson standing off to the side, waving at him with a slight grin on his face. Obadiah then turned to look at the press pool again, smiling weakly, before turning back to face Pepper. Pepper was still staring him down, indicating that he really had no choice. He coughed, trying to regain enough composure to readdress the press pool.

“Uh, my apologies.” Obadiah took a handkerchief out of his breast pocket to wipe the beads of sweat off his forehead, “I’ve seemed to forgotten that our esteemed CEO, Virginia Potts, has a few words to say…”

Obadiah closed his folder before slowly looking back at Pepper before turning to smile for the cameras as he vacated the podium. Pepper stepped out of the way for him as he took his time exiting. She then adjusted the microphone, clearing her throat to focus everyone’s attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen. We have an important update regarding Stark Industries’ Synergy project.”

Whispering from the press pool grew in unison as Pepper motioned for Rhodey to take the podium. He confidently strode up to the podium, producing an official looking piece of paper to read from.

“As you all know, Project Synergy was abandoned over a year ago. However, if you know anything about Tony Stark, you should expect the unexpected…”

* * *

_Back on Roosevelt Island…_

The team busied themselves in the conference room as they generated material and equipment Natasha, Clint, and Thor needed to help people get off the island safely, while the rest of the team worked to track Thanos’s weapon.

Tony tapped on a tablet. “Okay, I have the equations for the S.H.I.E.L.D. tracker,” he turned to face Steve, “let me figure this out and I’ll send it to you, Rogers.”

Steve nodded as Tony worked, tapping quickly before pointing to Steve. Steve nodded again as he quickly inputted the functions into the device as Tony called them out.

As soon as the necessary information was entered, Steve stepped back from the device. It hummed quietly before turning colors to indicate that it was generating the S.H.I.E.L.D. tracker.

“Stark.” Natasha’s voiced appeared in Tony’s earpiece, “we’re close to getting people off the island. Some people are refusing to leave, but we’re just about done.”

Tony tapped on his earpiece. “Okay, great. We just generated the S.H.I.E.L.D. tracker…” he motioned for Shuri and Bruce to set up the tracking device.

Bruce tapped on the tracker a few times, but his facial expression hardened as he worked through the controls.

“Uh…” Bruce said after a moment, “…this can’t be right…” He waved for Shuri to look at the tracker.

Shuri’s eyes widened as she looked at Tony and Steve.

“What?” Tony responded as he looked at Steve before looking back at Bruce and Shuri.

“It says…” Shuri started, “that the weapon is within…five to ten feet of us…” She slowly turned her head to scan the room.

The room went noticeably quiet as Shuri then tapped on the tracker again, slowly and carefully, to find the weapon’s precise location.

“Bruce…” Shuri whispered, looking in the direction of the niche in the counter Obadiah had hidden the weapon the day before, “it’s over in that counter…”

Bruce nodded sternly as he held out a hand toward Tony and Steve before moving toward the weapon. Everyone waited, the tension in the room mounting as Bruce walked slowly to the counter.

He crouched down. “I think I see…a briefcase…?” He stood up slowly to look at the group.

Tony nodded, but he stayed put. “Okay…” he took a moment, “let’s input the functions we need to generate a detonator and then we’ll deploy it once we get off this island…”

Everyone nodded back as Tony tapped on his earpiece again. “Romanov, it looks like we’re in a tricky situation. Stand by and we’ll meet you guys out by the helicopter.”

“Got it, Stark.” Natasha’s voice answered back.

“Tony,” Bruce started, “we need to be careful. The energy from Thanos’s weapon can trip the device’s reactionary blast, which will then cause it to self-destruct.”

Tony nodded again as he motioned for everyone to pack up their things. “Okay, Rogers, stand by for the info for the detonator and we’ll get the fuck out of here.”

Steve nodded as he waited for Tony to give him the input information from the solved equations while Shuri and Bruce carefully packed up their equipment. As soon as the Synergy device began generating the detonator, Tony motioned again for everyone to slowly follow him out of the conference room.

As soon as the group exited the room, and was at a safe distance, they all broke out into a sprint to get back to the landing pad, finding Clint and Thor standing near a helicopter with Natasha already in the cockpit.

“The device is generating the detonator!” Tony shouted as he and the rest of the group ran up to the helicopter; its propellers already whirling, “we need to get off this island now!”

They all piled into the helicopter before Natasha effortlessly maneuvered them up and away from the island. Tony joined her in the cockpit, pointing out toward the island as they rose into the air.

“Romanov, keep us at a safe distance just so we know we got this thing.”

Natasha nodded sternly as she pulled up on the controls. They hovered near the island as Tony went to the back to look at the Synergy device with Bruce on his tablet.

“How’s it looking, Banner?” Tony asked as he joined Bruce.

Bruce shook his head, his expression hardening again. “Shit, Tony…” he looked directly at Tony, “the device isn’t generating the detonator…” he tapped on the tablet, “it looks like it's being held up by the last unfinished round of safeguards…”

“What does that mean?” Clint shouted over the propellers.

Tony looked at everyone else before looking over at Steve who was on the opposite end of the helicopter. He sighed heavily as Bruce took his eyeglasses off to rub his forehead.

“It means,” Bruce sighed, “one of us will need to go back down there and set the device straight, or it won’t generate the denotator before Thanos's weapon explodes…”

Tony looked over at Steve again as the latter’s eyes grew with terror, indicating that he knew Bruce was referring either to himself, Shuri, or Tony, but also knew Tony would volunteer to go back down to the island.

“Tony!” Steve shouted as Tony walked up to him immediately, shaking his head, but he was smiling.

“Steve, I need to tell you something before I go down there…” Tony rested both hands on Steve’s face, “this is absolutely _the_ worst fucking time to say this to you, but I’ve been trying to tell you this since we talked earlier…”

“Tony…” Steve repeated, his voice wavering.

“…I should have told you this a long time ago…” Tony leaned in closer to Steve, “but I felt this way about you long before you said it and I still feel the same…”

Tony paused before continuing, smiling at Steve again. “I love you…so much, Steve.” The sentence started at strong but then ended in a whimper of emotion.

Steve nodded as he let Tony kiss him. “I love you too, Tony.” They stayed like that for some time before Tony broke away from Steve.

“My bed’s been screaming for your ass, so I have motivation to get back in one piece.” Tony offered casually.

Steve glanced at the rest of the group who had been watching them the entire time. “Tony…”

Tony laughed. “Seriously, though…I love you, and I’ll be back, okay?” Tony caressed Steve’s face with his thumbs, before leaning in for another kiss, “you can’t get rid of me that easy.”

Steve smiled as kissed Tony back, nodding. “I love you too, Tony…” He repeated quietly as Tony caressed his face once more before turning toward Bruce.

“Okay, I’ll have Romanov take us back over to the island.”

“Tony,” Shuri joined Bruce and Tony, “I don’t know if it’ll work, but try jamming the center of the core with something…it should give you five to seven minutes to get away from the device if it does get triggered by the weapon…”

Tony nodded. “What do I jam the core with?”

Shuri shrugged. “Anything you can find. It’s not perfect, but it’ll help.”

Tony grinned before sauntering to the opening of the helicopter. “Sounds easy enough. Okay, Romanov, take me down!”

Everyone’s body shifted to the side as the helicopter veered toward the island. As soon as it landed, Tony jumped out, running back inside Middleton’s main building toward the conference room. Bruce tapped on his tablet to watch Tony’s movement…

* * *

_Back inside…_

Tony carefully pushed open the door to the conference room. The sound emitting from the device sounded like a broken, scratched record. He frowned before taking his time walking over to it, tapping on his earpiece.

“Okay, I’m back in…maybe I can use a coin or something…” Tony searched around the room as the device continued making the horrible sound.

He continued to search until everything hushed around him; his vision was shielded by a blinding light…

* * *

A rumbling cloud from the island erupted, rocking the helicopter as plumes of smoke and flames shot out from the campus.

“Shit!” Bruce tapped on the tablet, “the device….it…the reactionary blast…”

Everyone crowded around Bruce, trying to see what was going on.

“…he stopped moving…” Bruce’s voice cracked, “I…don’t think…he’s going to make it…”

“I’m going after him.” Steve responded without hesitation as he slid toward the opening of the helicopter.

“Steve!” Bruce shouted, “you can’t go down there. You’ll get yourself killed!”

Steve drown Bruce’s voice out as he began securing his safety uniform. He felt someone grab a hold of his arm.

“Steve, listen,” Bruce was holding his arm, “you can’t go down there.”

Steve stared at Bruce intently. “I can’t leave him.”

Bruce took a second, sighing with a nod, finally letting go of Steve’s arm. Steve inched closer toward the opening of the helicopter, motioning for Natasha to lower back toward the island. She finally nodded back, lowering the helicopter, and as soon as the helicopter was about a foot or so above the landing pad, Steve jumped out, landing solidly on both feet before running into the main building. Everyone watched him enter as Natasha pulled up on the controls.

“I know this situation is _super_ serious,” Clint started, “but I have to admit that I’m kind of turned on right now.”

And despite how serious the situation indeed was, everyone else took a moment before nodding or making small sounds of agreement with Clint’s statement as Natasha maneuvered the helicopter away from the island again.


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One last 😏

_Meanwhile…_

“Sir, your readings show that you are injured. Do you need medical attention?”

J.A.R.V.I.S. repeated itself for the second time to an unconscious Tony. As the computer continued on, the damage to Tony’s suit caused the system signals to cross one another, triggering one of Tony’s favorite playlists, starting with Beyoncé’s “I Miss you”. Tony woke up immediately a few seconds into the song, blinking his eyes in confusion as he looked around the charred remnants of the conference room and the surrounding area.

“Beyoncé?” He said out loud to no one, his vision blurry.

Tony tried to move, but a wave of pain shot throughout his body as he realized that his right arm had been mangled from the blast.

“Tony!” Tony tried to turn his body toward the voice, “are you all right?”

Tony shook his head, groaning as he recognized the voice. “Steve?”

Steve crouched down in front of Tony, trying to hold him still as Tony shuffled about, trying to get his wits about him, but he was in severe pain.

“What…the fuck happened?” Tony groaned again as the music filtered through his suit.

Steve kept a firm hold on Tony with one hand while using the other to run through Tony’s hair. “We were watching you from the helicopter…you got caught in the reactionary blast…”

_…okay, you definitely need to keep this a secret…_

As Steve spoke, Tony blinked a few times again, his brain suddenly piecing together a conversation he had a long time ago but one he had completely forgotten until now, sparked by Beyoncé’s voice.

_…uh, it’s like a key, isn’t it?_

_…wait a minute…_Tony shook his head as he also remembered what that Columbia undergraduate student—

_…Riri, right?_

—who had broken into his lab that one time said about the obsolete chip with the embedded failsafe codes. He then mentally connected that to something he had missed in his dad’s schematics the last time he reviewed them at the resort.

_…like a key?”_

“Tony?”

Tony’s brain synapses fired all at once. _It’s a fucking key! Jesus Christ, dad, that is so fucking cheesy_—

“Steve! The key! Do you have it?” Tony had grabbed the collar of Steve’s suit with his good arm.

Steve frowned at Tony, clearly concerned for his physical and mental wellbeing. “The key? Tony, why don’t you relax for a bit so I can figure out how to get you out of here…”

Tony shook his head as he tried again. “The chip with the failsafe codes. I gave it to you a while back. Do you have it? Please tell me you still have it.”

Steve expressed bewilderment before unzipping the pocket he kept the chip in. “This?”

Tony exhaled with relief. “Yes! You still have it?”

Steve smiled wearily. “Yeah…it, uh, reminds me of you…”

Despite the terrible pain he was experiencing from his injuries, a stupid grin crept up onto Tony’s face before he answered.

“That is…the most sappiest shit I have _ever_ heard, Rogers.” The statement made Steve laugh, although his expression eventually settled to express his concern for Tony.

Tony looked around the room: The Synergy device was sitting on top of what was left of the conference room table. Debris flew around the space as Tony craned his neck to see the spot where Thanos’s weapon had been hidden. The briefcase had been blown away but the weapon was still intact.

Tony used his good arm to point at the device. “We need,” he groaned again, “…we need to get the device to stop shaking long enough for it to finish constructing the detonator. We—” Tony shrieked, trying to hold his bad arm with his good arm. Steve carefully propped him up as he continued, pointing at the chip in Steve’s hand, “…we gotta use the chip…to keep the device stable as we work…I remember seeing this in my dad’s schematics…it was something about…what happens in the event the device is compromised…but the key…the chip keeps it stable, Steve…”

Steve nodded. “Okay what do I do?”

“Insert the chip in the core…,” Tony groaned loudly, “you’ll see it…”

Steve nodded again, making sure Tony was stable before jumping up to run over to the device. The device was shaking wildly, more so than it had ever done in the past. Steve searched around until he found the slot for the chip, inserting it as firmly as possible. After a few seconds, the device stopped shaking, but it continued glowing an assortment of colors to indicate that it was compromised.

“Tony! I think it worked!” Steve shouted, turning behind himself to look at Tony.

Tony nodded. “Okay, wait for the device to finish generating the detonator, then we’ll set it up and get the fuck out of here.”

Steve nodded back before turning to face the device. It glowed some more before humming quietly to signal that it was almost done constructing the detonator.

“Okay, what’s next, Tony?” Steve turned slightly to face Tony who was now slumped to the side, but still awake despite the amount of blood he had lost from the blast.

Tony nodded again as he talked Steve through manually setting up the detonator. They worked quickly and efficiently together, almost as if they were working in the lab during a normal working day back before they lost control over Project Synergy. Steve pressed the last few buttons as the detonator automatically set up the original countdown before the Synergy device set off the reactionary blast.

“Okay, Tony, we don’t have a lot of time, but…” Steve turned to face Tony again, now finding him slumped all the way onto the floor and unconscious.

“Tony!” Steve shouted as he ran over to Tony.

Steve remained calm as he checked Tony’s pulse, relieved that he was still breathing. Steve then hoisted Tony’s body over his shoulder before running out of what was left of the conference room. He ran down half exposed hallways, running past the remains of the tech expo’s main event space, seeing flames and smoke everywhere. Steve hurriedly looked around for an escape, dodging pieces of the building as it came crashing down. He knew he needed to get to the side of the building facing the water so that the team could see them from the helicopter.

Steve took a moment, trying to remember the layout of the building before sprinting down another hallway, spotting an opening up ahead that overlooked the East River. He then, without thinking twice, backed away a few feet, clinching Tony as tightly as possible without doing more damage to his body, before he ran and jumped out of the opening. They landed in the water as soon as Thanos’s weapon exploded, sending a visible radius of the explosion throughout the campus and the surrounding area on the island. The blast retracted as the buildings caught in the radius imploded, sending a significant portion of Roosevelt Island into the water. Steve ducked himself and Tony under water as the island sank.

* * *

“Do you see them?”

Bruce and the rest of the team had crowded around Clint who was looking out along the water with a pair of binoculars. Clint scanned the area until he spotted two heads bobbing up and down in the water.

“Holy shit!” Clint shouted, nearly dropping the binoculars from excitement, “he made it! And he has Stark!”

Everyone peered out of the helicopter to see Steve holding a thumbs up with his free hand to show that despite sustaining injuries from the reactionary blast, Tony was alive. Everyone cheered as Natasha maneuvered the helicopter over toward Steve and Tony.

Thor embraced Bruce in a tight hug. “This was indeed quite a glorious endeavor!” He shouted with glee, still holding Bruce.

Bruce struggled against Thor, eventually breaking out of the hold with ease, which would have been more difficult for anyone else who had been subjected to one of Thor’s hugs.

“Yes,” Bruce brushed himself off with a smile, “it was indeed.”

Natasha lowered the helicopter so that the team could help Steve and Tony inside before they flew straight to Mount Liberty.

* * *

_A few days later…_

“Welcome this evening to Metropolis News! We have _quite_ the doozy for you all this evening.”

“That’s correct. Although a substantial portion of Roosevelt Island was lost during the explosion that rocked the city, Stark Industries is working on putting the island back together.”

“That’s right. CEO Virginia Potts will be on later to talk about the rebuilding effort.”

“Sounds like that will be interview you _do not_ want to miss.”

“Indeed. Now in other related news. Former CFO of Stark Industries, Obadiah Stane, in connection with the explosion, has been indicted on multiple charges of fraud, bribery, manslaughter, assault—”

Steve turned off the television with a remote before hearing the rest of Obadiah’s charges. He had been visiting Tony in the hospital as often as he could since the explosion.

“Rogers?”

At the sound of Tony’s weary sounding voice, Steve almost launched himself out of the chair he was sitting in next to Tony’s bed.

“Tony, you’re awake.” Steve smiled down at Tony, feeling relief rush over him as he carefully grasped Tony’s hand while the other gently rubbed his shoulder.

Tony looked at Steve then the room, his eyes widening as he realized that he was in a hospital bed.

“Steve!” Tony exclaimed in terror, “the weapon! Roosevelt Island! Thanos!” He tried to get out of bed, but he was still hooked up to the machines that were keeping him stable.

Steve nodded, carefully holding Tony still so he didn’t accidentally rip up his bandages and rip out the tubes running to the machines.

“We got it, Tony,” Steve answered as Tony finally settled down, “thanks to you.”

“We got it?” Tony stared at Steve who nodded back again.

Exhaling with relief, Tony slammed back down into the bed, but he groaned in pain as his body made contact. He looked down at his right arm, which was covered in bandages before craning his neck to look back at Steve.

“Peter!” Tony cried, “is he okay?”

Steve nodded once more. “Everything’s fine, well except for Roosevelt Island. Peter’s been with May since we brought you to the hospital.”

Tony took a moment before nodding again. “He…hasn’t seen me like this, has he?”

Steve shook his head. “No, but I’ve been checking on him before coming to see you since you’ve been here. Actually, Peter stayed over at my place last night and we played board games with Bucky all night.”

Tony smiled as best as he good, laughing quietly. “Thanks…Rogers…thank you for that…everyone else is okay?”

Steve nodded as he sat down in his chair before explaining to Tony what happened at Roosevelt Island.

“I…uh…I think I sort of remember what happened…” Tony sat back, wincing, “and...that…stupid chip…”

Steve laughed, now running a hand through Tony’s hair. “Yeah, I was supposed to get rid of it when Synergy first closed down…”

Tony turned his head to look directly at Steve. “Well…I’m glad you didn’t…you saved my ass, Rogers.”

“I just did what you told me, Tony,” Steve smiled, “we worked together.”

Tony nodded slowly as he stared back at Steve who reciprocated the expression.

Tony then shuffled around, trying to get comfortable. “Uh, Steve…” he started, smiling weakly, “…thank you…for coming back for me…”

“Of course…” Steve smiled down at Tony, “I love you, Tony…and you would have done the same for me.” The way Steve was looking at Tony caused him to smile wide although his whole body was sore.

“I…really appreciate that, Steve…I love you, too…”

Steve nodded. “Well…someone’s gotta keep you safe, Tony.”

Tony couldn’t stop his face from forming the same goofy grin that appeared when Steve told him why he had kept the chip. He felt his cheeks redden, remembering Steve saying something like that to him a long time ago before they started dating. Steve continued to smile at him, reaching for his hand. Tony accepted Steve’s hand, rubbing it gently as Steve moved inward toward him.

“Ah, Tony,” Dr. Strange appeared in the room interrupting the budding intimate moment, “glad to see you’re finally awake.” He smiled at both Steve and Tony as he walked to the opposite side of the bed.

Tony groaned as he sat up in the bed. “Please tell me the damage isn’t too serious, Strange.”

Strange held out a clipboard to read Tony’s medical chart. “We had to do some extensive reconstructive surgery on your arm which had been severely injured in the blast…” he took a moment as he read down the chart, “everything else is fine, but I suggest taking it easy for about a month.”

Steve nodded. “Thank you so much, Dr. Strange. I don’t know what we would do without you.”

Strange laughed. “Just don’t end up in my hospital again, unless you’re here to assist with the Synergy device.”

“Okay, okay,” Tony started with a coy expression, “I think the most important question that’s weighing on everyone’s mind now is…” he pointed in the direction of Steve’s backside, “how long do I have to wait to tap _that_ again.”

“Tony!” Steve responded, clearly embarrassed.

Strange chuckled. “Like I said, it’ll be a while before you’re back on your feet, Stark.”

Tony eyed Strange. “Hm, that’s not_ exactly_ what I asked, Strange.”

Strange rolled his eyes with a smile. “No vigorous activity for a month.”

Tony shrugged with a sigh. “I’m not happy about this, but I guess if the doc says so.”

Steve rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously. “Thanks, again, Dr. Strange.”

“No problem,” Strange crossed his arms, “I want to keep you in the hospital for a few more days just to watch that arm, but then after that, you’ll be free to go,” Strange smiled downward at Tony, “glad to see you're more or less your normal self, Tony.” He winked at Tony before saying goodbye and exiting the room.

Tony watched Strange leave before facing Steve again. “Uh, do you have your phone, Steve? I want to call Peter to let him know I’m okay.”

Steve nodded as he gave Tony his phone. “I’ll stay with you tonight then pick up Peter tomorrow. Do you want to see him here or wait until you’re back home?”

Tony waited before tapping on May’s number in Steve’s phone. “I think it’ll be okay to see him here…it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Steve nodded as he watched Tony wait for May’s voice on the other end of the receiver. He chatted with her for a bit before talking with Peter.

“Hey, kid…” Tony started, feeling an emotional rush “…yeah, I’m okay now that I’m talking to you…”

Steve sat back down in his chair, watching Tony laugh on the phone with Peter.

* * *

_Several months later…_

“So, I think everyone here knows who I am. I’m Steve’s ‘significant’ other. ‘Significant’ in scare quotes, of course.”

Tony was standing in front of their group of friends who had gathered on the penthouse’s balcony to celebrate Steve’s birthday.

“I just wanted to say a few things before I give Steve _one _of his presents.” Everyone collectively groaned at Tony’s comment, causing Tony to laugh as he held his hands up.

“Hey, hey. I’m not talking about _that_. Come on.” Tony paused for a second as he motioned for the band he hired for Steve’s party to set themselves up behind him.

Tony pointed toward Steve. “I wanted to give you something nice and maybe embarrass you a little in front of your friends.” He winked before sauntering over to the grand piano, making a show of it as he settled in.

The band began playing as Tony played along with them. “Whenever I see your smiling face, I have to smile myself, because I love you, yes I do…” Tony started singing, immediately earning a slew of cheers from how unexpectedly nice his voice sounded.

As the band and Tony continued on, Bucky bumped into Steve, smiling ridiculously as he tried to get his friend to dance with him. Steve sighed as he moved with Bucky, motioning for everyone else to sway or dance as Tony sang.

“…and I thank my lucky stars that you are who you are…” Bruce started singing along with Tony, but way too loudly. Natasha nudged him in the arm to take it easy, smiling as she got him to sway with her to the music.

Rhodey and Pepper were dancing near the front next to Sam and Shuri. Bucky was laughing at Steve as he awkwardly danced with his friend and Clint was near the back of the balcony trying to get his wife Laura to dance, but he was too excitable while dancing.

Peter was in the back with May, bouncing along to the music, too excited for his aunt to get him to settle down, so she just let him enjoy himself before leaving the party. Fury was standing off to the side with his wife, just bobbing his head to the music, sipping out of his margarita with a long straw. And Thor was singing along as well, clapping joyously as he got caught up in everyone enjoying Tony’s performance.

“…no one can tell me that I’m doing wrong today, whenever I see your smiling face my way…” Tony turned to wink at Steve again who was now facing him, smiling and clapping.

As the song wound down, Tony stood up and bowed theatrically. He motioned toward the band before walking toward Steve.

“Tony!” Steve pulled Tony into a hug, “that was amazing! Thank you!”

“It’s James Taylor.” Tony sneered, burying his head into Steve’s neck.

Steve pulled back to look at Tony, rolling his eyes in the process. “I know that, Tony.” He leaned inward to kiss him, lingering for a bit as everyone around them cheered on.

Tony reluctantly broke away from Steve, but he was still holding on. “Okay,” he turned to everyone else, “you can all leave now.”

The comment caused everyone to laugh as Tony directed everyone to enjoy the rest of the party. Steve and Tony said goodnight to Peter before he left with May and they spend the rest of the night relaxing and talking with their friends.

A bit later, Tony found himself alone in the kitchen with Pepper, chatting about everything besides work.

“So,” Pepper began as soon as Tony finished his last thought, “are you ready for later tonight? Finally figured out what you’re planning to say?”

Tony blushed before nodding. “I think so. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“Oh,” Steve appeared suddenly in the kitchen, “I’m sorry for interrupting…” He waved his hands around before turning to exit the space.

“No, it’s okay, Steve.” Pepper responded with a smile, squeezing Tony’s shoulder before walking up to Steve.

“I’m sorry I have to leave so early. But I’ll see you later this week. Happy Birthday.” Pepper leaned toward Steve to hug him, and Steve smiled as he hugged her back. Pepper looked back at Tony, waving before exiting the kitchen.

“You okay?” Steve asked as soon as they were alone, placing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.

Tony nodded; he could tell that Steve had picked up on his palpable anxiety. “Yeah, I think so.” He managed.

Steve nodded as he walked up to Tony to give him a hug. “We have so much to clean up.”

Tony laughed as he hugged Steve back. “We’ll take care of it tomorrow, baby.”

Steve tilted his head back to smile at Tony before leaning in to kiss him. “Let’s get back to the party.” He whispered.

Tony nodded as he let Steve lead him out of the kitchen and back out onto the balcony.

* * *

_Later that night…_

“So, I did get you something else.”

Tony sat down on the edge of the bed; his mannerisms were becoming more anxious and he knew that Steve could tell that something was up.

Steve joined him on the edge as he placed a hand on his shoulder. “Tony, you really didn’t have to. The party was more than enough. And I got to hear you sing.”

Tony turned slightly to look at Steve, smiling shyly before leaning over the side of the bed he usually slept on. He shuffled around a bit, pulling some things from out underneath the bed until he found the thing he was searching for. Tony sat up straight, breathing deeply, trying to steady himself so he wouldn’t forget what he wanted to tell Steve.

Tony turned to face Steve, holding a small little black box with a giant red bow on top. He watched Steve’s eyes widen, signaling that he was speculating what the contents of the box might be.

Tony took another deep breath. “It’s funny…” he looked at Steve before looking down at the box in his hand, “…when I saw you try this on when we went out to my folks’ house in the Hamptons, I knew immediately I needed to get it resized…I wanted to get it fixed after we got back…” he looked up at Steve again who was listening, but his expression had changed; Tony knew he knew that he was referring to the fight they had over his dad’s diary, “and I know I already apologized about this, but I’m so sorry about the diary, Steve…I know you were trying to help…”

Steve nodded as he reached over to rub Tony’s arm. “It’s okay, Tony. We’re okay. More than okay.”

Tony nodded, pausing before continuing. “…it’s been in my family for so long, but I never really thought about it before seeing you wear it…” Tony inhaled then exhaled deeply, opening the box to reveal his mother’s ring that had belonged to his grandfather.

“If it doesn’t fit, I’ll fix it—but that’s only if you want it of course. I don’t expect you to say yes, of course, considering all the shit we’ve been through…” Tony looked up at Steve, “but I just wanted to say that I love you so much, Steve, and there’s no other way for me to express it besides throwing you a huge-ass party,” Tony chuckled to indicate that he was joking before taking a moment as he looked away from Steve, “…well actually I’m showing it by opening up to you more like we talked about…” he sighed as looked directly at Steve again, “I had prepared better for this, I prom—”

But before Tony could finish, Steve had placed both of his hands on Tony’s cheeks, pulling him in close for a kiss.

“Yes, Tony.” Steve whispered, closing the gap between them.

Tony eked out a small noise of disbelief as Steve pulled them further onto the bed. Tony settled on top of Steve as they kissed each other, getting lost in the kiss before he straightened up a bit to look down at Steve.

“Wait, you know I’m asking you to marry me, right?” He smiled weakly, disheveled from the quick kiss and trying to get his thoughts in order.

Steve laughed as he pulled Tony close to his body again for another kiss. “Yes, Tony.”

Tony chuckled, kissing Steve before propping himself up again. “Okay, wait. Let me do it right.” He sat up, holding the box out toward Steve.

“Steve Rogers,” Tony smiled a little wider as he felt the sensation in his chest again, “will you marry me?”

Steve nodded as he reached out for Tony. “Yes, Tony.” He repeated for effect.

Tony laughed as he kissed Steve, almost dropping the ring box. He quickly grabbed it before sliding his family’s ring onto Steve’s ring finger. Steve smiled at him as Tony settled them both to lie back down on the bed. Tony, caught up in a wave of emotions, starting grinding against Steve’s body, feeling him all over as he felt Steve do the same.

“Oh my god, I love you so much, Steve.” Tony breathed as he squeezed Steve’s body, lifting his head to kiss him.

Steve kissed Tony back. “I love you too, Tony.”

Tony hummed as he pressed downward into Steve’s body, losing himself again. He felt Steve push up into his body, feeling his backside with both hands as one hand traveled downward to squeeze his ass. Tony moaned as he felt Steve squeeze him, rubbing himself against Steve’s leg before moving his body to hump Steve’s hardening cock he could feel through the fabric of their clothing.

“Fuck.” Tony whined, letting Steve flip him over onto his back as he tried to free Steve from his pants.

Steve unzipped his pants before helping Tony with his, removing both their shirts. Steve laid down on Tony, feeling his chest with both hands as he kissed Tony’s neck. Tony moaned as he squeezed Steve’s ass, spreading his cheeks a bit to rub him.

“Oh wow, Tony…” Steve let out.

He moaned some more from Tony touching him, his body pressing downward more into Tony as their cocks rubbed up against each other. Tony looked downward between himself and Steve, freeing himself and then Steve, feeling their naked cocks slide up against each other without missing a moment.

“You are so fucking sexy, baby…” Tony whispered as Steve began grinding faster and harder against his body.

Tony’s breath hitched as placed both hands on Steve’s hips, guiding his motion back and forth along his body. Steve sat up a bit to rock his hips against Tony, moaning loudly as he placed one hand on Tony’s chest, moving it along to pinch Tony’s nipples as he rocked forward.

Some time passed as Steve humped Tony’s body before Tony sat up straight, kissing Steve as he held onto him before flipping him over onto his back. He kissed Steve along his neck and then the side of his body, stopping short to feel Steve’s cock with one hand.

“Fuck me, baby. You are _so_ fucking hard.” Tony breathed as he stroked Steve for some time before leaning downward to suck on his cock.

Steve’s body jerked upward into Tony’s mouth as he entered. Tony grinned, holding Steve down with one hand while using the other to stroke him slowly as he licked him. Tony looked upward at Steve who had his eyes closed, moaning with Tony’s every movement.

Tony licked Steve slowly one last time, getting him to the point where he knew Steve was close before straddling his body. He smiled downward at Steve, rubbing his hands along his chest before leaning downward.

“Do you want to fuck me, baby?” He whispered, grinning at Steve.

Steve nodded promptly and wordlessly as his hands squeezed Tony’s ass. Tony stroked Steve’s cock with one hand while touching himself with the other. He leaned over toward one of the beside tables to find a tube of lube before rubbing some all over Steve.

Steve moaned as Tony touched him, rocking his hips upward into Tony’s body as the feeling intensified. Steve pulled Tony forward to kiss him as Tony squirted some lube into Steve’s hands. Steve then reached forward to feel Tony’s ass, spreading his cheeks apart as he entered Tony with two fingers, fucking him slowly as Tony moaned from feeling Steve inside of him.

“…fuck, baby…” Tony moaned, pushing his body back onto Steve’s fingers.

Steve continued to fuck Tony with his fingers before Tony sat up straight again. He rocked his hips forward slowly, smiling down at Steve before positioning his body to lower down onto Steve’s hard cock. Steve closed his eyes and moaned as Tony’s body squeezed his cock, bucking upward into Tony as soon as he was all the way in.

“Fuck, Steve.” Tony let Steve flip them around so that Steve was now on top, holding back Tony’s legs as he fucked him.

Tony moaned loudly as Steve held onto his body, pushing hard inside of him, moaning with every single push.

“Oh my god, you feel so good, Tony.” Steve breathed, pushing into Tony even harder and faster than before.

Tony moaned and whined as Steve continued inside, feeling himself coming close. Steve held him down into the bed, his body also shaking from the feeling. One of his hands traveled up Tony’s body until Steve was near Tony’s face. He brushed Tony’s lips with his thumb, rubbing them gently until Tony stuck out his tongue lick Steve’s thumb. Steve moaned as he pressed his thumb inside Tony’s mouth before entering two fingers, watching Tony suck on his fingers as he fucked him.

“Fuck, Tony, I’m so close.” Steve breathed, “I love you so much.”

Tony nodded as he felt Steve come inside of him before feeling himself come all over his chest. “Fuck,” Tony moaned as soon as his mouth was free, “I love you, too, Steve.”

Steve pulled out of Tony, but rubbed himself against his body a bit longer, kissing Tony slowly for some time before flipping back onto his back. He panted a few times as Tony snuggled up against his body, hugging Steve for a minute or so before Steve turned onto his side, turning Tony with him so that he could spoon him from behind. Steve laid his hand on Tony’s chest, feeling his nipples as he kissed his neck.

“You know…,” Tony gently took Steve’s hand, “this looks really good on you, especially when we’re fucking.” He smirked, turning Steve’s hand on his chest to show that he was talking about the ring.

Steve laughed quietly before turning Tony over some more to kiss him. “Yeah, I think it looks good on me, too.”

They kissed for some time, feeling each other before Tony jerked away suddenly.

“Shit!” Tony smacked his forehead with his hand before squiggling out of the bed.

Steve moved a bit out of the way for Tony to get free. “What?” He asked, confused by Tony’s abrupt change in tone.

Tony smiled at Steve before shuffling to slide off the bed. “Peter made you something and I was supposed to give you the thing _before _I proposed.”

He walked over to one of the dressers, opening the top drawer before continuing. “If he asks, just tell him I went with the plan.” He chuckled as he turned around with a huge sheet of paper.

Steve propped himself up with one elbow, laughing. “What?” Tony asked, still holding the sheet.

Steve crossed his arms behind his head. “We’re not even married yet, and we’re already doing parent things.”

Tony grinned. “What? Like, concocting a lie to tell our kid to keep the peace?”

Steve smiled as he shook his head. “Okay, maybe not that devious…”

Tony nodded with a smile before he went quiet. “So…you…want to adopt Peter after we get married?”

Steve took his time sitting up in the bed before responding. “Of course, Tony. I don’t think you would have asked me to marry you if there was even a possibility that I would say no to adopting Peter. You care about him and only want the best for him.”

Tony smiled as he waited a moment, thankful that he had found someone like Steve. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” He teased as he rejoined Steve in the bed with the sheet of paper.

“Remember that comic book series Peter’s been working on?” Tony held the sheet out for Steve, “he told me he added you to it and wanted me to give it to you.”

Steve expressed his most genuine appreciation as he accepted the sheet. He kissed Tony before holding the sheet out to look at it from a better angle.

“That’s you.” Tony pointed to one of the figures, “I think he said something about Captain America. Something super patriotic, of course. Totally fits, doesn’t it?”

Steve laughed before pointing to the other figures in the drawing. “And who are these two?”

Tony chuckled. “The one in the middle is the one Peter draws of himself. I think Spiderman?”

Steve gawked at Tony. “Spiderman?”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t know, Rogers. The kid likes spiders.”

Steve laughed before pointing to the last figure. “And who’s this?”

Tony sat up more in the bed. “Uh, that one’s supposed to be me. Iron Man.”

“Iron Man?”

“Yeah,” Tony felt himself getting surprisingly choked up, “he said something to me once…about how tough I was no matter what happened.”

Steve nodded as he leaned to the side to kiss Tony. “Yeah, I agree with that.”

Tony kissed Steve a few times before letting go. “And, I’m going to make that suit someday.”

Steve looked at Tony before looking down at the drawing. “What? This? The Iron thing?”

Tony laughed. “Yeah, I’m going to make that suit someday. Peter’s comic has given me some ideas.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Tony, that’s not funny. This thing looks dangerous.”

Tony laughed as he took the drawing from Steve to lie down on top of him. “_Everything_ looks dangerous to you, Captain America.”

Steve laughed as he let Tony’s hands roam along the side of his body. “Like, seriously,” Tony started again, “weren’t you in the military? Also, Synergy?”

Steve continued to laugh as Tony began wrestling around and nudging him. “Tony!” Tony had lightly pinched him, “Tony! Stop!” But he was laughing too hard to really do anything as Tony pinned him down in the bed.

* * *

**EPILOGUE **

_About six years later…_

“Parker, you live in New York City, but you can’t parallel park? What’s _that _about.”

Peter, Tony, and Steve were awkwardly parked in front of a restaurant where they planned to have dinner to celebrate Steve and Tony’s anniversary. Peter was in the driver’s seat of one of Tony’s least nice cars, practicing for his upcoming driver’s test with Tony in the passenger seat and Steve sitting in the backseat, leaning forward.

“I live here, but I don’t drive here, Tony,” Peter started, annoyed with Tony already giving him such a hard time, “that’s why I need to practice.” He sighed as he inched the car forward and backward, trying to get close to the curb, but was still quite a ways away from it.

“You’re going to scratch up my car inching back and forth like this.” Tony sighed just as loudly as Peter had done as he leaned up against the window. His body jerked with the movement of the car.

“Peter,” Steve leaned forward some more, “why don’t you pull the car out and try again,” his tone was a calm as possible, “because unfortunately, your dad is right—”

“_Unfortunately_?” Tony had twisted around to make a face at Steve.

“—if you keep moving back and forth like this you might end up scratching the car,” Steve waved Tony off to finish his statement, “we’ll show you what to do.” He then lightly caressed Tony’s arm to get him to relax.

Peter sighed again as he jerked the car out of the parking spot, which was more than enough space for him to parallel park.

“Okay,” Tony made a motion with his hands, “turn this way, then that.”

“Make sure you use your mirror, Peter.” Steve added.

Eventually, Peter successfully parallel parked into the spot. Steve patted Peter on the shoulder before exiting the car.

“Nice job, Peter.”

“Thanks, Steve.” Peter answered as he unbuckled his seatbelt, but before he could get out of the car, Tony gently grab him by the elbow.

“Good work, Parker.” He smiled to show that he was genuinely proud that Peter had finally figured out how to parallel park.

Peter groaned. “Why didn't you say that when Steve was in the car?”

“Because,” Tony grinned, “I must retain the softy parent,” he then pointed toward the outside of the car at Steve who was patiently waiting for them, “and the hard ass parent dynamic,” he then pointed to himself, “your dad knows the deal.”

Peter smiled. “But you _are _a softy parent, Tony. Steve agrees with me,” he retorted, “remember how worked up you were about that trip to Venice?”

Tony laughed before posing thoughtfully. “Yet, I was right, wasn’t I?” He reached over to mess up Peter’s hair, causing Peter to groan again.

“Yeah, sure.” Peter barely let out as he hopped out of the car but was internally grateful that Tony had been right about the trip.

They walked with Steve inside the restaurant, sitting down at their table before ordering. They chatted for a bit about their family summer plans before Peter made a show of getting everyone’s attention.

“Okay, don’t be weird, please, but I got the two of you something for your anniversary—”

“What? Are you paying for dinner, Parker?” Tony interjected, but it was clear he was teasing. Steve nudged him in the arm to get him to relax.

Peter laughed, rolling his eyes as he rifled through his backpack until he produced something square and poorly covered with Christmas wrapping paper. Steve made a sentimental face of appreciation as Tony grinned from how goofy the wrapped gift looked.

“So, I was talking to Bruce the other day and he let me go through the archived Synergy files from a few years ago, and I found this…” Peter slid the square object across the table toward Steve and Tony. Both looked at each other before Tony picked up the thing and unwrapped it. As he slowly revealed the gift, both he and Steve made the most surprised reactions.

Underneath the Christmas paper was a framed photograph of the two of them on Project Synergy’s orientation day.

“…I thought it would be cool to get it framed. You both look kind of awkward, but I thought it was cute.” Peter continued, unaware of the magnitude his gift had on both Tony and Steve.

Indeed, Steve and Tony did look awkward in the photograph: Tony had placed his hand on Steve’s shoulder while they were speaking to each other, but if you looked at the photograph now (and probably back then) you could tell that there was something else between the two one wouldn’t be able to explain until now.

Steve nodded as he reached over to rub Tony’s back. “This was really nice of you, Peter. Thank you so much.”

Tony nodded as well, trying to use it as an opportunity to make a joke, but his kid’s thoughtfulness shattered any immediate attempt.

“Yeah, yeah. Good job, kid.” Tony winked at Peter, “but you still got the check, right?”

Peter rolled his eyes, looking over in Steve’s direction, pleading for mercy. Steve laughed as Tony looked at both his kid and his husband as if he didn’t know why he was being ridiculous.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

“Tony, I know we said we weren’t getting each other gifts this year because of the trip to Malibu and our recommitment ceremony, but I got you something.”

Steve walked to the bed with a rectangle shaped item covered in neatly wrapped wrapping paper.

“Thank, god!” Tony was on his phone emailing while Steve was talking, rolling his eyes as he leaned toward the bedside table to grab something from the drawer.

“I got you something, too, but I knew you were going to whine the whole trip.” Tony waved around a smaller square box.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Ton—”

“_Tony_.” Tony mimicked Steve with a coy grin before Steve could finish.

Steve sighed as he watched Tony pat his side of the bed. Steve took his time getting into the bed before Tony handed him his gift.

“I hope it’s not too lame.”

Steve smiled. “Whatever you get me will never be lame, baby.”

Tony groaned with a smile. “Yeah, okay, you huge sap. Open it already.”

Steve laughed as he unwrapped the tiny box, opening it to find what appeared to be his dog tags but they looked brand new.

“What? Are these my dog tags?” Steve gawked at Tony.

Tony laughed. “I know you keep them in the top drawer, so I just lifted them when you weren’t looking and shined them up for you.”

Steve chuckled as he took the tags out of the box. “Thank you, Tony, that was really thoughtful of you.” He kissed Tony before handing him his gift.

Tony grinned as he accepted the box from Steve, opening it quickly to see that it was a journal with a felt cover.

“I thought maybe you needed another journal for your lab notes.” Steve explained as Tony fanned the empty pages.

Tony turned to reach out and kiss Steve. “Thanks, baby. I can definitively use this.” He placed the journal on the bedside table before facing Steve again.

“So,” Tony winked at Steve, “you know we won’t get any alone time while we’re out in Malibu.”

Steve laughed as he leaned inward to kiss Tony again. Tony scooted downward in the bed as Steve laid down on top of him.

“I love you, baby.” Tony whispered as he hugged Steve against his body.

Steve nodded as he kissed Tony’s neck. “I love you, too, Tony.” He rubbed Tony’s body as he moved his head to kiss Tony on the lips.

They stayed like this for some time, but instead of going any further beyond light kisses, both feel asleep gradually, with Steve still on top of Tony whose arms were wrapped around Steve’s body.

* * *

_The next morning…_

“Hey! It’s Malibu time!”

Both Steve and Tony jerked awake from the sound of Peter’s voice coupled with insistent knocking at their bedroom door.

“Go back to sleep!” Tony grumbled through a haze with half of his body on top of Steve.

Steve shifted to straighten up which prompted a groan from Tony. “You did say we would leave early.” He said quietly with a smile, running a hand through Tony’s hair as the other hand gripped Tony’s waist.

Tony grunted a non-committal reply as he shifted onto his other side while Steve got out of the bed.

“I’m going to make breakfast.” Steve walked to the door, opening it to relieve an excitable teenager.

“Good morning, Peter.” Steve greeted as he reached downward to give Peter a hug.

“Morning, Steve!” Peter hugged him back before breaking out into a run to jump onto the bed with Tony, jumping so hard that it nearly bounced Tony off the bed.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Peter began, “please inform Tony when he said we would leave for Malibu.”

“On the 2nd of May, Mr. Stark is recorded saying that the trip to Malibu will begin promptly at 8:00am on the 15th of June.”

Peter smirked. “And what time is it now, J.A.R.V.I.S.?”

“It is 8:10am, sir.”

Tony groaned as he turned over. He stayed facing downward in a pillow but turned his head slightly to address Peter.

“Okay, first,” he held up one finger, “don’t ever jump on this bed like that again. You’re going to break it and will have to spend the rest of the summer paying it off. Second,” Tony held up another finger, “you’re going to make me a cup of coffee and bring it here. I will drink that cup of coffee before going out into the kitchen. As soon as I get to the kitchen, you’ll make me another cup. After I drink that, we’ll get ready to leave. And third,” Tony held up a third finger, “make sure you’re ready to go.”

“I packed last night, Tony.” Peter whined.

Tony propped himself up to eye Peter. “Did you check your bathroom?”

Peter rolled his eyes. “No...” Dragging out the word as much as possible.

“Then make sure you do that after you make me some coffee, my dearest.” Tony shifted around to lie on his back, patting Peter on the leg.

Peter sighed as he jumped off the bed to head toward his bathroom. Tony sat up more in the bed, closing his eyes, thinking about the trip. He smiled thinking about being with Steve and Peter, and how good it felt finally having the family he always deserved.

**The End**

* * *

Here’s some more fanart by [negativesd09](https://negativesd09.tumblr.com/) on tumblr of Tony and Peter playing that quota learning game when Peter was nine. And remember that you can find the songs mentioned in the story on the running playlist on Spotify! Thank you so much for reading!

And stayed tuned for the next two installments to Earth-0943!

Part Two (a short story): _Who’s Afraid of a Little Science Fair Project? _(May 2021)

Tony has a habit of getting a little _too _excited about science. Everything science. This furor for the pursuit of knowledge is no less intense when it comes to Peter’s project for his school’s upcoming science fair. Steve tries to remind Tony that it’s just a “fair” and not a “tech expo”. But Tony only laughs; of course, their kid will have _the best_ project.

Alternative universe set a couple years after the main events of _Synergy_. Peter’s thirteen and Tony has volunteered his resources to help his kid win his school’s science fair. Some cute moments between father and son transpire, but also Tony gets ahead of himself which may or may not result in Peter’s project destroying the school’s gymnasium.

Part Three (multi-chapter story): _Synergy: Not Too Far Away From Home _(December 2021)

Kids. They grow up way too fast. Peter wants to go on some trip to Europe with his classmates, but Tony’s having the most difficult time letting him go. “What are you going to do when he goes to college?” Steve rightfully inquires. But it turns out Tony might have been right. However, the danger ends up being not too far away from New York City.

Alternative Universe set a few years after the end of Synergy. Peter is fourteen and his high school is planning a trip for the honors students to spend a week in Venice. Tony and Steve, being the parents that they are, wade through normal relationship drama/comfort while also trying to save their kid from a deranged ex-Stark Industries employee who also so happens to be Peter’s science teacher.

To be continued...


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